Current issue
Biofibre News
Clariant and Floreon announce collaboration
Clariant’s Additives business and Floreon-Transforming Packaging Limited announce an exciting new collaboration to further extend the performance properties and market potential of biopolymers, whilst preserving their environmental benefits.
AR Packaging drives sustainable innovation and targets a major shift to dry molded fibre packaging together with PulPac
AR Packaging aims to be first on the market with commercially viable plastic free trays and cutlery for the food, on-the-go and food service sectors. The group looks to contribute to innovative process developments of fully fibre based solutions and therefore has joined the PulPac Technology Pool.
Holmen offers map of spruce bark beetle damage to wood suppliers
The spruce bark beetle has rampaged through the forests of southern Sweden, affecting many forest owners. In response, Holmen has developed an analytical tool, based on satellite images and artificial intelligence, showing actual damage on a map. Now, the forest company’s private wood suppliers can access one of these maps. A service that Holmen is “first to come up with”.
Valmet to deliver defibrator system to Qinzhou Lvyuan Wood in China
Valmet will supply a Defibrator™ system and a Steam Separator PV system to Qinzhou Lvyuan Wood Co., Ltd. in China. The start-up of the system is planned for spring 2020. The order was included in Valmet’s orders received of the fourth quarter 2019. The value of the order will not be disclosed. Qinzhou Lvyuan project is a new investment of Lvyuan Group to expand its production and diversify its product range. The project is located in Guangxi autonomous region. In recent years, Guangxi has actively developed the forestry industry, expanded the industrial chain and built industrial clusters.
Wood-based alternative: Feminine hygiene fibres from Kelheim
Kelheim’s premium tampon fibre Galaxy® has proven effective in sanitary pads: It can substitute up to 70% of the synthetics in ADL (Acquisition-Distribution-Layers) in feminine hygiene pads. The amount of feminine hygiene waste is enormous – and often the time it takes for these products to degrade is “hundreds of years longer than the lifespan of the woman who used it” [sic], because the synthetic components are not bio-degradable. Changing consumer behavior drives the need for environmentally friendly yet safe alternatives.
Biobased kayaks for a sustainable world
Melker of Sweden manufactures and sells outdoor equipment, such as longboards, kayaks and paddleboards. The company – a new member of the Paper Province cluster – has a strong sustainability pathos and wants to manufacture products with the least possible environmental impact. So they experiment extensively with natural materials in their manufacturing and their goal is to eschew traditional plastic materials.
Södra: SEK 8 million for resource efficiency
This autumn, the Södra Research Foundation called for research projects with a ‘Resource efficiency’ theme. SEK 8 million has now been granted to seven research projects with topics ranging from the core products and processes of the forest industy, to new innovations in the use of forest byproducts. One of the projects being funded is called ‘Resource-efficient chipping of spruce bark-beetle damaged wood for chemical pulp production.’ This project focuses on developing a new drum-chipping technology for the pulping process.
Stora Enso invests in pilot plant for bio-based plastic packaging material
Stora Enso is investing EUR 9 million to build a pilot facility for enabling the production of bio-based plastics as barrier in transparent packaging. The pilot plant will convert plant-based sugars into the renewable building block required to make PEF, a bio-based plastic, mainly targeting the food and beverage industry. The pilot plant will be located at Stora Enso’s Langerbrugge Mill in Belgium.
Domsjö Fabriker AB and Ecohelix AB: Cooperation on hemicellulose copolymers
Domsjö Fabriker AB and Ecohelix AB have agreed to cooperate on establishing a demo scale plant for production of the hemicellulose copolymers developed and patented by Ecohelix. The parties are already cooperating on a pilot scale plant located at the Domsjö Fabriker Mill. This pilot plant has been used to verify the raw material, the process, the products and to produce sample material for potential customers.
Södra takes new step to adapt forests to climate change
Södra is using controlled pollination to breed trees for tomorrow’s forests – a new innovation, where nearly 2 million seedlings are being propagated to produce trees that are healthier and more resilient, with 30 percent faster growth than trees in today’s forests.
Stora Enso launches a new concept for constructing office buildings from wood
Stora Enso is launching a new building concept that makes it easier for architects, engineers and developers to design office buildings from wood. The concept provides guidance on the use of prefabricated wooden building components. It also provides information to support the decision-making process for all major stakeholders involved in an office building project.
AR Packaging to launch fibre-based cutlery in cooperation with Bionatic
Since the European Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUP) was introduced, both consumers and member states have started to reconsider many plastic packaging items on the market. By 2021, plastic cutlery will be banned in the EU. While targeting some of the issues related to unrecyclable items and potential littering, the demand for eating on-the-go will remain. There is therefore a great need for a new generation of food service packaging to fill this gap.
