Thanks to the use of fresh forest fibres, lightweight boards can be used without compromising the quality and performance of finished cartons, resulting in both cost savings and sustainability benefits.

Indeed, because they are strong and sourced from sustainably managed forests, Nordic wood fresh fibres make it easier to achieve a lighter weight board matching the quality requirements of the luxury industry.

M-real’s lightweight boards help increase yields and reduce costs throughout the packaging chain. As board is sold by weight, customers can make significant savings in terms of reducing the tonnage they need. With less weight to be carried, logistics costs throughout the supply chain are reduced, as well as waste disposal charges at the end of a carton’s life.

For instance, through the substitution of the Avanta Ultra carton (300 g/m2) with the lighter CartaElega (280g/m2), M-real helped a cosmetic customer reduce the weight of the hair dye package. Similarly, for the outer box of perfume, M-real convinced the customer to substitute SBS grade 330 g/m2 with CartaElega, a 290 g/m2 cartonboard that is lighter but which retains the same stiffness as heavier grades. These slight changes lead to important cost savings.

Of course, these reductions in packaging weight and volume also lead to tremendous gains in terms of sustainability. Indeed, lightweight packaging provides a wide array of environmental benefits: they require less raw material, water and energy. This results in a lower carbon footprint.

M-real’s lightweight boards designed for the beautycare market include CartaElega, Carta Integra and CartaSolida.

CartaElega is a fully coated folding boxboard with a coated back, recommended for fragrances, make-up products, toiletries, hair coloration products and other demanding packaging. CartaElega offers superior visual smoothness with high brightness and equal bluish-white shade on both sides providing excellent print quality and a perfect top surface for foil lamination and special features. CartaElega is available in 200-380 g/m2 and is produced at M-real’s Kyro mill.

Carta Integra, a fully coated BCTMP board with coated back, is recommended for fragrances, make up-products, toiletries, medical products, hygiene products, chocolate confectionery, and other demanding packaging as well as graphics. Carta Integra is available in 170-330 g/m2 and is produced at M-real’s Äänekoski mill.

Eventually, Carta Solida is a fully coated BCTMP board with a white back, recommended for fragrances, make-up products, toiletries and hygiene products. Its brilliant visual appearance enables attractive print results, and its high brightness leaves unprinted areas with a clean look. CartaSolida also holds excellent sensory properties thanks to its high purity. Available in 180-320 gsm. Produced at Äänekoski mill.