Premium Beauty News - What have been this year’s main highlights for Metsä Board?
Sari Pajari - Metsä Board has introduced its SkinCare 2.0 gift box design, an inspirational package for beauty care applications that aims to improve the consumer experience and minimizes the use of plastics in a creative way. The structural design of each box reduces packaging material use and offers a plastic-free and recyclable packaging solution. In addition, each box offers a unique opening and reclosing feature.
We have received several recognitions to our sustainable packaging innovations. For example, our SkinCare 2.0 gift box design won the 2018 Luxe Pack Shanghai ’in green’ Award and our innovative cup design Lidloc has won and the Red Dot award.
Sustainability credentials are extremely important for us and our customers, and this is why we are very proud of the recognition given to us by institutions like CDP and EcoVadis. Metsä Board was this year again awarded a position both on CDP’s Supplier Climate A List and on CDP’s Supplier Water A List and we are the only forest industry company globally to feature on the Supplier Climate A list. Metsä Board was also again awarded the Gold level rating by EcoVadis for our approach to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Overall, we were ranked in the top 1% of suppliers across all categories.
Premium Beauty News - To what extent is “green” packaging influencing consumer purchasing behavior and packaging choices among brand owners in the cosmetics industry?
Sari Pajari - We see a growing demand for more naturally derived ingredients in beauty products and their packaging with increased concerns on product safety, traceability and friendliness to the environment. Conscious consumers appreciate ethical, trustworthy brands which have transparently published their sustainability targets and programs. We at Metsä Board help brand owners reach these goals through innovative packaging design and by providing sustainable packaging materials that are renewable, recyclable, biodegradable, certified and more lightweight.
Premium Beauty News - What new innovations will Metsä Board be presenting at Luxe Pack?
Sari Pajari - Metsä Board will highlight its innovative SkinCare 2.0 gift box which uses fiber-based materials to replace plastic. Also on display will be a creative customer case study which shows how packaging design should communicate with each part of the value chain and how it must be at the core of a luxury brand. The 2018 ‘Spirit of the Year’, Arctic Blue Gin packaging showcases how an impressive design process optimized all aspects of the paperboard to create a stunning and sustainable solution.
Visitors can also see first-hand the ground-breaking winning design ‘Stretching Inner Part’ from the global ‘Better with Less – Design Challenge’ design competition, that was organised by Metsä Board. This innovative design introduces an ingenious fiber-based alternative to plastic bubble wrap which is also very interesting for luxury packaging.
Premium Beauty News - According to you, what are the next big trends set to disrupt the industry in the next few years bring?
Sari Pajari - I can see four major trends:
– Continued changes in the retailing landscape. Customers expect a seamless, intuitive customer experience that makes buying products quicker, easier and more enjoyable, be it online, in-store or a combination of these, the experience of e-commerce packaging must match consumer expectations for shopping a brand in-store. Packaging solutions need to be adaptable for different channels but at the same provide a uniform, high-quality brand experience for shoppers.
– Experience and personalization. Consumers look for experiences and entertainment and they also share their experiences in social media. This calls for personalization, limited editions, innovative materials and new design solutions such as unique opening and closing features. Technological advancements in digital printing of packaging support this trend, enabling lower print runs more cost efficiently.
– Smart packaging. Connected packaging acts as an interface between the consumer and the product, offering a pathway to augmented reality with videos and further information about the product, its origin and sustainability.
– Sustainability. The Importance of sustainability and traceability continues to grow. Work toward the reduction of excess packaging, make sure your packaging is as sustainable and recyclable as possible - you are far more likely to win customers over - and show you’re doing your bit for the planet.
Premium Beauty News - What are the main opportunities and challenges faced by packaging players?
Sari Pajari - Consumers are increasingly conscious about sustainability of packaging. Today’s educated consumers also understand the connection between consumption and environmental and social impact. We need to work together in order to ensure that packaging fulfils the growing consumer expectations and provides positive brand experiences for the consumer.
Premium Beauty News - How has Metsä Board overcome these challenges?
Sari Pajari - Our lightweight premium paperboards successfully meet the growing need to reduce carbon footprints and make packaging more sustainable. Through our packaging design services, we also provide ideas, inspiration and practical solutions to brand owners to jointly develop more eco-friendly and functional packaging. We have recently further strengthened our design team to meet brand owners’ growing interest in this area.
