The recyclable and fiber-based wood foam Fibrease by Stora Enso can replace polymer-based foams in packaging solutions. A partnership with Nefab has made it possible to scale up the production and broadly introduce Fibrease to the market, and it’s already being used by customers.

We are all familiar with the polyurethane (PU) foam used for cushioning in packaging. It performs well when it comes to protecting products. It’s made of fossil raw materials and used frequently within a variety of industries worldwide. Now, after a successful collaboration between Stora Enso and Nefab, the fiber-based material Fibrease is ready to broadly replace polymer foams, offering brand owners sustainable packaging solutions.

“We see a growing demand from eco-conscious companies to replace plastic-based foams with more sustainable alternatives. With Fibrease we can give them that,” says Johan Tegell, product manager, Fiber-based solutions, Nefab.

Nefab is a global B2B company that saves environmental and financial resources in supply chains, providing complete packaging solutions and logistics services for their customers worldwide. Because of this, they have the engineering expertise and converting capabilities to test and help develop the material supplied by Stora Enso. Nefab’s role as a development partner has been to learn how to best convert Fibrease and test it through shock, vibrations, and transport. Also, try it out with pilot customers. Stora Enso has further developed the material through feedback and close cooperation.

The result, A fiber-based wood foam that performs similarly to PU foam but is kerbside recyclable in the paper/board stream.

Thales Group is a French multinational company that designs and manufactures electrical systems and provides services to the aerospace, defense, transportation, and security industries. They are eager to find greener solutions and have set a sustainability goal of reducing their environmental footprint by 35% by the end of 2023. This made them a perfect match to pilot test Fibrease instead of PU foam. The test went well. Fibrease’s performance matches Thales’ demands and expectations but comes with lower carbon emissions, helping them to further reduce their environmental footprint. Thales decided to switch to the new packaging solution that is also recyclable in the paper/board stream, which traditional foam solutions are not.

”We know that a lot of companies want to get away from plastics and leave their reliance on the polymer foams behind, and now they can. We offer a renewable raw material that is tested and ready to go,” says Elisabeth Bergvall, director, Wood foam Fibrease, Stora Enso.