The Finnish group is making another major step on its journey to replacing fossil-based materials with renewable solutions. Stora Enso’s new DuraSense range enables the use of renewable fibres, such as wood, to substitute for a large portion of fossil-based plastic. The new family of materials is suitable for a wide range of applications from consumer goods to industrial applications. Typical applications include, for example, furniture, pallets, hand tools, automotive parts, accessories and packaging for beauty and lifestyle products, toys and items, such as kitchen utensils and bottle caps.

Reusable and recyclable

The DuraSense granules are a combination of natural wood fibres, polymers and additives offering the mouldability of plastic with the sustainability and workability of wood. With DuraSense, it is also possible to combine fibres with recycled or bio-based polymers to further enhance environmental values. For example, DuraSense Eco100, which is one of the product grades and based on wood fibres and biopolymers, allows to fully replace fossil-based plastics.

The DuraSense granules are a combination of natural wood fibres, polymers and additives. They can be used to manufacture furniture, pallets, hand tools, automotive parts, accessories and packaging for beauty and lifestyle products, toys and items, such as kitchen utensils.

Reducing the amount of plastic and replacing it with renewable and traceable materials is a gradual process. With DuraSense, we can offer customers a wood fibre-based alternative which improves sustainability performance and, depending on the product, significantly reduces the carbon footprint - all the way up to 80%,” says Jari Suominen, Head of Wood Products at Stora Enso.

Stora Enso’s biocomposites can be reused as a material up to seven times or recycled along with other plastic materials or, alternatively, used for energy recovery at their end of life.

"The replacement of plastics as a packaging material is an issue that cannot be avoided. DuraSense offers very interesting opportunities. In the future, we can consider specific developments to meet the requirements of beauty brands, particularly in the make-up sector," adds Hervé Vue, Sales Director of Stora Enso France.

A new partnership with Sulapac

In parallel, Stora Enso has signed a new partnership with the start-up Sulapac, which produces a fully biodegradable material made of renewable and sustainable raw materials.

Sulapac’s fully biodegradable eco-designed packaging has been selected by Finnish cosmetics company Naviter for its new Atopik range of natural cosmetic products.

Through the joint development agreement, Stora Enso will licence Sulapac’s materials and technology, and begin the development of fully renewable caps and closures for liquid packages.

At Stora Enso we believe that everything that’s made with fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Our future growth comes from innovations in renewable materials,” concludes Annica Bresky, EVP Consumer Board at Stora Enso. “With our partners, such as Sulapac, we drive these innovations to create the packaging of the future.