Stora Enso Expands Biodegradable Packaging Boards

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Stora Enso, Finland, reported this week that it is expanding the company's selection of biopolymer-coated packaging boards. Biodegradable coating options are available for a number of the company's board grades for use in cups, plates, trays, and folding cartons. Paper cups used at this week's Finnish Pavillion at the World Expo in Shanghai are made from Stora Enso's biodegradable Cupforma board.

Paperboard trays made from Trayforma Performance Bio can be used for packaging fresh and chilled foods that are not heated in their packages. Vegetables, salads, and sandwiches are typical examples. All boards in Stora Enso's biodegradable board offering are approved for direct food contact.

Polymer coating gives the desired barrier properties for the package, protecting against oxygen, humidity, odor, taste, and light, and resulting in prolonged shelf life. The choice of coating depends on what kind of barrier is required. Biopolymer coatings provide an oxygen, moisture, and grease barrier, the company explains.

Biopolymer-coated paperboard breaks down to humus and CO² in industrial composting. In recycling schemes, biodegradable products are primarily intended for the collection of materials for industrial composting. Collection schemes depend on local collection conditions. Stora Enso's boards can also be safely collected and recycled separately or together with other paper and board products.