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Metsä Group begins pre-commercial sales of “Muoto” wood fibre packaging

Metsä Group begins pre-commercial sales of “Muoto” wood fibre packaging
A box with wood-fibre based Muoto food trays (photo courtesy Jouni Korhonen / Metsä Group).

Finland-headed forest industry major Metsä Group has disclosed that its new wood-fibre packaging brand "Muoto" is now available for pilot customers looking for packaging solutions that, thanks to Muoto’s modularity and new technology used in the process, have multiple usage cases in food packaging.

Metsä Group’s innovation company, Metsä Spring Oy, has started pre-commercial sales of its three-dimensional, wood-based packaging solution Muoto.

Both durable and recyclable, Muoto packages can be used as an alternative to plastic in a wide range of applications, from takeaway to industrial packing.

Its natural composition ensures safety and non-toxicity while being lightweight, durable, and sturdy. During the pre-commercial phase, the availability of products will be limited by volume and packaging type.

Muoto products have been produced at Metsä Group’s and Valmet’s demonstration plant in Äänekoski, Finland, since May 2022.

Available for pre-commercial sale

Metsä Group is now making its product available for pre-commercial sale, a significant milestone in the development of the business.

If the results are successful, Metsä Group will be in a position in 2025 to evaluate investing in a first commercial production facility and thus, start the Muoto business.

We have been extremely pleased with the early results of Muoto. In wood-based product development, it’s quite rare to have a product ready after only a few years of development. Designed for durability and safety, Muoto is ideal for a wide range of uses, from serving dishes to food containers – so we are ready to expand cooperation with pilot customers, said Jarkko Tuominen, VP of Projects at Metsä Spring.

Efficient production process

Muoto’s biggest advantage is that its production skips multiple supply chain steps that are required for other packaging solutions today.

In the Muoto process, pulp slurry is fed into a mould, formed, dried, and cut, thus generating products that can be shipped directly to the customers, ready to be used in i.e., food packaging.

The process also requires a minimal amount of water and other resources due to the innovative product structure, production process, and effective water circulation.

The entire production process happens in one production line; it is largely automated and uses machine learning in multiple touchpoints, making the production process safe and reliable.

By offering early access, we aim to gather valuable feedback and insights from customers to further refine our product. Together, we can explore new applications based on the market and customer needs, Jarkko Tuominen explained.

A PPWR-compliant alternative to SUP

Muoto is a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) compliant alternative to single-use plastic (SUP) packaging (photo courtesy Metsä Group).

With the EU directive on single-use plastics (SUPs), European food packaging manufacturers are searching for affordable and more sustainable alternatives to current packaging solutions.

Additionally, the European Commission’s proposal for the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), when accepted, will force companies to promote circularity and reduce packaging’s environmental impact.

At Metsä Group, we are constantly looking into potential innovations that could bring more wood-based alternatives into everyday products, thus replacing, among others, various fossil-based products. With Muoto, we can offer an alternative to the plastic-dominated market, proving that functionality, responsibility, profitability, and design can go hand-in-hand, said Niklas von Weymarn, CEO at Metsä Spring.

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