Stora Enso alongside Blue Ocean Closures and AISA have developed together the first ever paperboard tube with a fiber-based closure.
This new, innovative wood fiber-based concept helps brand owners increase the share of renewable material in their packaging. All components of the tube are designed for recycling. The tube is composed of Stora Enso’s barrier-coated board material Natura Shape™ and a screw cap designed in collaboration with Blue Ocean Closures with assembly by AISA. The solution contains more than 85% fiber content, the highest proportion available in a tube design. Intended for cosmetics and personal care applications, it is expected to be commercially available in 2024.
As plastic remains the most widely available base material for tubes today, brand owners have faced a challenge when sourcing sustainable alternatives. Commenting on this development, Martin Hammer, Business Developer at Stora Enso said: “We believe that it is essential to increase fiber content in order to futureproof paperboard tubes with increased recyclability, reduced carbon footprint, and meet consumer expectations for sustainability and user experience.”
To help brand owners achieve their sustainability targets without compromising on functionalities and shelf presence, increased collaboration is required across the value chain. "This paperboard tube development is a great example of a collaboration that is needed to stay competitive in today's rapidly changing industries, both now and in the long run. Making our paperboard tubes more commonplace in today's packaging landscape requires finding sustainable closures, too. By collaborating with Blue Ocean Closures and AISA, we have been able to accelerate the development of the more sustainable tube solution," says Salvatore Sortino, Head of Business Alliance at Stora Enso.
This latest improvement was officially unveiled at Interpack 2023, the world’s largest fair for the packaging industry. Stora Enso first launched its paperboard tube concept in 2019 for cosmetics packaging as a new, climate-friendly alternative to plastic tubes.