A magazine from BillerudKorsnäs #3
Eyes on the prize Awards, designs and solutions
flying on to the shelves ● valentine’s winner ● first grade medical paper
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e än inje linsida
A world of innovative packaging solutions
Address: billerudkorsnäs ab, Box 703, SE-169 27 Solna, Sweden www.billerudkorsnas.com publisher: agneta rognli production: appelberg publishing group editor: elisabet tapio neuwirth art director: magdalena taubert print: göteborgstryckeriet cover: billerudkorsnäs white, 220 gsm Inside cover image: PIDA 2011 Impertinity by Cécile Force, Clémence Papon, Clémence Person Miryam Dellaoui, France.
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Contents
Editorial putting words into action There has been a great deal of talk
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Frank Rehme on the trend towards shelf ready packaging
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BillerudKorsnäs White honoured at ECMA awards
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Papyrus forms vital link in the cartonboard supply chain
about sustainability for some time. At BillerudKorsnäs we are determined to put our words into action. We know that not all packaging solutions are sustainable in the long term. We also know just how important sustainable innovation is to our partners and customers, because you have told us. The results of our customer survey – the first carried out since BillerudKorsnäs was founded two years ago – have now come in. We are delighted that you consider us to be a leading supplier in terms of quality and product range and that you are satisfied with the serviceand support we offer. We will continue to invest in innovation, developnew materials and smarter solutions, and improve logistics – all in the interestsof sustainable development and supporting our customers to do better business. But this is something we will not do alone. Our ambition is that we will continue to do this together. That way we will make packaging smarter.
peter malmqvist
Marketing Director at BillerudKorsnäs AB
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Driving sustainable innovation
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Cutting-edge medical-grade paper
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Planting for the future
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Looking after our forests
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A breath of fresh air in India
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Valentine’s gift box steals Nivea’s heart
photo: anna-lena lundqvist
Download the Smarter Packaging app for your iPad from the App Store.
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News
The places to be Every year packaging events and trade fairs take place all over the world, from London to Bali and Stockholm to Chicago. They are the ideal forum for keeping abreast of the latest industry trends and products and for networking. More often than not BillerudKorsnäs is among the exhibitors. Last year the company launched its next-generation cartonboard at Packaging Innovations in London and Empack in Stockholm, and attended the invitation-only Les Places D’or in Paris, one of the world’s most prestigious luxury packaging shows. The packaging industry is no stranger to BillerudKorsnäs Smarter Packaging events either. In 2014, there were seminars in Bali, Prague, Budapest and Cannes on bag and sack solutions, for example. Closer to
home, meanwhile, the focus was on sustainability with customers attending a seminar in Stockholm on food waste, food safety and forestry certification. •
Breaking ground in
Dressing up Spotify
East Africa Attending the East AfriPack trade fair in Nairobi last September paid off for BillerudKorsnäs. As one commentator put it: “No other paper supplier does this. It’s something you should do more often!” It was the first time this kind of event had been held in East Africa and BillerudKorsnäs hoped its attendance would broaden the company’s network in the region, primarily with brand owners. BillerudKorsnäs displayed its range of packaging materials, with a special focus on sack and kraft paper solutions. The stand was visited by around 100 people. A two-part BillerudKorsnäs seminar was also held at the fair focusing on sack solutions and kraft paper bags, with a mix of commercial and technical subjects. • 4 Smarter Packaging
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2015
What’s on April 9–10 Packaging Innovation, Warsaw April 15–16 Luxe Pack, Shanghai June 16 PIDA, Sweden June 24 PIDA, France September 16–17 Packaging Innovation, London October 21–23 Luxe Pack, Monaco October 28–30 FEFCO, Barcelona–23 Luxe Pack, Monaco
BillerudKorsnäs made its North American debut in November 2014 at the Pack Expo in Chicago, promoting sustainable solutions to 50,000 processing and packaging professionals.
Students from Berghs School of Communication in Stockholm have achieved the seemingly impossible task of designing a physical package for the online music streaming service Spotify. The
challenge of giving Spotify a physical form was laid down in last year’s Sustainable Packaging & Innovation Communication Event, an annual competition organised by BillerudKorsnäs and Berghs. Twelve teams of students submitted entries to the prize jury, which included members of Spotify’s management team. The winning concept was Spotify Road Trip, centring on a pop-up store made from BillerudKorsnäs packaging. Placed in petrolstations, the store sells Spotify items, such as vouchers and cords to connect phones to car stereos. This is the first time that an online brand has been physically packaged and Spotify intends to adopt some of the concepts from the competition. • Even digital brands need packaging to reach their target audience.
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News
Princess of Monaco In October the world’s chicest brands flocked to the Grimaldi Forum for the latest in luxury packaging. BillerudKorsnäs had pride of place. text agneta rognli photo luxe pack & billerudkorsnäs
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ver three days, some 400 exhibi-
tors vied for the limelight at Luxe Pack 2014, the world’s leading trade show for the packaging of premium goods, with deluxe packaging solutions for perfumes and cosmetics, health and beauty products, watches and jewellery, champagne and brandy. This year, one in ten exhibitors displayed their wares for the first time. Luxe Pack is both an opportunity for packaging manufacturers to showcase their creativity and keep an eye on competitors and a place to do business and build relationships. Some 61 percent of visitors are buyers and decision-makers at global luxury brands. The show was covered by 80 journalists from 11 countries.
As usual the BillerudKorsnäs stand caught
the eye as much for its stylish design as its cutting-edge solutions, with a giant led screen and an art installation featuring a world map made of cartonboard packaging across the back wall. Inside, the focus was on next-generation cartonboard and the design possibilities of the four cartonboard grades in the BillerudKorsnäs port folio: creative shapes, embossings, foils and prints. Visitors were impressed by its excellent print results and more lifelike colour reproduction. Luxe Pack 2014 recorded a 15 percent increase in the number of visitors compared with last year and saw more attendees from outside Europe. Many of the stands showcased new technology, with several exhibitors displaying 3d printers and new techniques in digital printing. •
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innovative design From left: Roland Rex, chairman of Pro Carton; Satkar Gidda, chairman of the ECMA Awards jury; and Andreas Blaschke, president of the ECMA.
White cartonboard sweeps ECMAs BillerudKorsnäs White cartonboard is behind two innovative designs recently honoured at the 2014 European Carton Makers Association Awards ceremony. text danny chapman photo ecma
could withstand repeated handling by customers. Precision engineering allowed both safe shipping and problem-free filling of the displays, while the mints could be easily removed by consumers.
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To reflect the values of Peppersmith, Alexir used fsc-certified cartonboard as well as high-quality printing inks, which perfectly matched the look of the cartons. The ecma Awards jury said of the Clipstrip display: “This was a deceptively simple but very effective design for display packaging.” In the Non-Food category, Swiss bottle manufacturer sigg picked up an award for its viva water bottle hanger, which also uses BillerudKorsnäs White cartonboard.
for the 2014 Pro Carton ecma Awards and the Pro Carton Young Designers Awards took place in Sorrento, Italy, with awards presented in 13 categories. The winning entry in the Shelf Ready & Display Category was the Clipstrip concept, which was designed for packets of mints made by Britain’s Peppersmith confectionery company. The Clipstrip concept he awards ceremony
Peppersmith’s Clipstrip.
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came about when Boots, a British retailer with more than 2,500 stores, wanted to stock Peppersmith’s mints but had no shelf space available. Peppersmith wanted the best product placement possible for such an impulse buy and needed a good display solution. With the use of
plastic not being an option, as this would not fit with the brand’s premium image, carton producer Alexir hit SIGG’s VIVA upon the solution water bottle. of creating a bespoke concept using BillerudKorsnäs White cartonboard. The end result consisted of a display strip firmly attached to a metal shelf frame that
The hanger allows the bottle to be secured
firmly by snapping it into place. The “stopper” promotional space is opened by finger pressure. The one-sided printed construction can be machine bonded in a single run and all the packaging can be recycled. Satkar Gidda of brand design consultancy SiebertHead and the chairman of the ecma Awards jury said: “Attention to detail is growing in package design. It is very impressive the way things are being done and the innovation that is being considered.” • #3 1-2015
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better solutions
Gold-plated innovation At BillerudKorsnäs, a culture of innovation fosters creative solutions that improve customers’ competitiveness while benefiting the environment, explains CEO Per Lindberg. text danny chapman photo david lundmark
Why is innovation so important to BillerudKorsnäs?
Innovation has always been extremely important for BillerudKorsnäs. You could say that as a company it runs through our veins. Indeed our mission statement – “To challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future” – signifies how important innovation is to us. With concerns over food waste, food safety and littering driving global demand for sustainable packaging, we need to be more innovative than ever before. And that is something we will continue to do together with our partners and customers. What types of innovation are being prioritised?
By boosting ongoing activities, speeding things up and making sure that there are no internal restrictions to implementing good ideas we will bring value to our customers,brand owners and end users – and of course to ourselves as material and solution providers. Our priority areasare green material technologies, business model innovation and service and logistics. Just how significant are global factors such as food waste and littering?
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we can to bring new materials and solutions that benefit the environment to the market. There are many opportunities for us, working with sustainable materials, to offer competitive alternatives to existing solutions such as plastics. And if we can compete with non-sustainable solutions we can help eliminate the use of fossil-based materials and help reduce food waste and littering. Our paper will disappear, plastics will not. Will this focus on innovation have an impact on BillerudKorsnäs as a company?
Absolutely. For our own long-term sustainability, innovation in the three key areas of materials, business models and service and logistics is vital. And an innovative company is a more attractive employerand more fun to work for. Betterresults can be achieved; not only from innovation itself but also from the arrival of new talent. It is a virtuous cycle,and one that ultimately benefits us and our customers. What influence will these innovations have on ongoing business?
We will continue to develop and launch new materials and solutions that enhance our customers’ competitiveness while benefiting the environment. This affects the entire organisation at every level, from operations to communications. • Smarter Packaging 7
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vinjett liten
“ A company can deliver its message via its packaging.�
Requirements The joint trade and industry body Efficient Consumer Response Europe has drawn up five requirements for shelf ready packaging: Easy identification Easy open Easy dispose Easy shelf Easy shop
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trend
Thinking out of the box Innovation evangelist Frank Rehme explains why shelf ready packaging is like manna from heaven for hard-pressed supermarkets. text michael lawton photo thomas müeller
F
rank Rehme, Chief Executive Officer
of Düsseldorf-based retailconsultants gmvteam, says shelf ready packaging (srp) can help a store’s bottom line – and it can improve the shopping experience too. “Staff costs at point of sale are a big factor,” he says. “If you can optimise that, you can make a big difference.” Supermarkets are a low-margin business. In Germany, margins are just one or two per cent, the world’s lowest, so every cent counts. “The trick is to have packaging that the staff understand instantly without explanation,” Rehme says. “Many shelf-stackers are parttime and inexperienced, so you need intuitive handling.” SRP is designed so
ager for the German retail giant Metro. He was behind their Future Store project, which tried out trailblazing retail technologies. Eighteen months ago, he decided “to stop working for the good of just one trader and to benefit the whole world instead,” and founded gmvteam – gmv standing for gesunder Menschenverstand, or “common sense”. Part of his common sense concept is neuromarketing, which he sees as “understanding what goes on in the customer’s
that, with a simple tear along a perforation, the packaging turns into an attractive shelf display unit. Shelf ready packaging means products land on the shelves earlier and can be sold faster. Rehme is a great believer in packaging. He describes it as “the interface between brain at the moment of sale”. And from the product and the customer.” In the the neuromarketing point of view, packpast, he worked as the innovation managing is central. #3 1-2015
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“A company can deliver its message via its packaging,” he says. “And just as a picture can be enhanced by its frame, srp can provide an attractive frame for the product.” But there are risks. “Sometimes the packaging designer is too creative and the packaging is not clear for the user,” Rehme adds. “And sometimes the design of the srp doesn’t match that of the product.” Some designs take full advantage of the srp promise. Nestlé’s Maggi bouillon cubes, for example, come in an srp with a tear-off strip in the base, so that the carton can engage with the shelf ’s pusher and the product is always at the front of the shelf. Unilever has since adopted the same idea for its Knorr bouillon cubes. “That makes a perfect srp, presenting a good face to the customer so that it is easy to find the product and it looks good,” says Rehme, who predicts a bright future for srp. “I can see it being adopted for clothes and household goods, as well as food.” He also sees srp as a way of countering the out-of-shelf problem. German supermarkets lose eur 4 billion a year because products are not on the shelves, though they may be in the store’s warehouse. Already, srp makes it easier and quicker to replenish shelves. But perhaps srp could include technology that warns staff when shelf stocks are running low, and, even better, tell staff exactly where the reserve supplies are to be found. Perhaps intelligent packaging could be linked with intelligent shelves. “If you want to optimise sales, it’s important to have the products available,” Rehme says. • Smarter Packaging 9
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innovation
A stitch above the rest
Every hour of every day, paper from Beetham in the UK and Skärblacka in Sweden is used to improve patient safety at hospitals and medical centres worldwide. text susanna lindgren photo istockphoto
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illerudKorsnäs is the world leader in paper for packaging of medical equipment and supplies products globally. Medical-grade packaging for health-care products and medical instruments such as compresses, syringes, tweezers and scissors is increasingly important in preventing the spread and transmission of diseases. Beetham manufactures a wide range of grades specially developed to meet the strict requirements for the packaging of medical equipment. It all started in 1973 when a revolutionary discovery resulted in the Beetham mill receiving the Queen’s Award for Technological Achievement. Ying Sou, local manager at Beetham, says: “We pioneered a type of paper that could be sterilised by steam and we were the first to produce a paper that could be used in an autoclave – a sort of pressure cooker – to sterilise surgical instruments and other medical equipment. Today, we are together with Skärblacka the biggest supplier of sterilisable kraft paper for medical products.” 10 Smarter Packaging
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The trick was to come up with a paper that
once an object has been inserted into a pack and sealed and placed in an autoclave allows the steam to penetrate and inflate the pack while leaving the contents dry and sterile. In addition, the pores in the paper must ensure that the bacteria remain on the outside. The combination of strength, permeability and a long-term sterile barrier calls for a paper with special characteristics. “The bacterial barrier is mainly to do with the size of the pores in the paper. Also, the paper must have a wet strength such that – just like a teabag – it doesn’t dissolve in water,”Ying says.
The medical kraft paper that Beetham produces is designed both for disposable items and for reusable medical instruments. Suppliers of hospital sterilisation packaging are one customer group and then there are medical device manfacturers, which package and sterilise disposable items such as compresses, syringes and hypodermic needles. “Hospitals generally use three types of packaging for products that have to be #3 1-2015
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Sterile Barrier Solutions BillerudKorsnäs offers the health care industry a wide portfolio of medical-grade kraft paper, a broad skills base and a growing range of services. Business Support Manager David Shaw explains how.
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PROTECT “We look at how different materials interact to decide what type of seal is needed to satisfy the requirements for sterility. We also examine the entire production process for the sterile barrier, including the contents and the packaging method.”
PRESERVE “The growing use of disposables and the way they are transported around the world is placing tough demands on packaging to ensure that their contents remain sterile. We are responding to this challenge by continuing to develop new products with improved puncture-resistance.”
PRESENT “Sterile handling of medical objects is essential in preventing the spread of infection in clinical environments. We are constantly making improvements in this area through our commitment to the development of sterile barriers free from fibre dust.”
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innovation
Adapting to different markets sterile, either hospital wrap, paper bags or pouches that are a combination of paper and plastic film,” Ying says. For the latter, the bond between paper and plastic film is extremely important. “It’s important for the film and the paper to match and form a perfect seal strong enough to withstand the pressure in the autoclave, but not so strong that fibres become detached when the packaging is opened. Paper dust may introduce impurities during a surgical intervention,” he says.
The demands placed on medical-grade kraft paper vary from one country – and continent – to another. In Europe and the US, the requirements for safe, reliable medical packaging are becoming tougher, while in many developing countries the onus is on having a supply of simple, protective packaging at low cost. In many parts of the world, getting hold of sterile medical equipment is a huge challenge, while elsewhere it is taken for granted.
Medical device manufacturers produce
Steven Blacow,
and pack their own products, with the most common method of sterilisation being the use of ethylene oxide or gamma radiation. Following sterilisation, it is the job of the paper to maintain the protective barrier between the contentsand their surroundings while syringes or compresses are stored on shelves in hospitals and pharmacies. With many products stored for long periods before they are used, BillerudKorsnäs Sterikraft guarantees that the products remain clean and sterile for up to five years.
“ The paper must have a wet strength such that – just like a teabag – it doesn’t dissolve in water.” Ying Sou, local manager at Beetham
“The three big challenges are seal, fibre dust and productivity. With certain combinations of paper and film, it takes longer to obtain an airtight seal. It can take between half a second and two seconds to adhere the film on to the paper; as a result, the sealing time is a factor in productivity and so is extremely important to our customers,” Ying says. “We know paper, and can also offer a comprehensive offering of technical grades of paper that deliver the desired performance at competitive prices.” The outlook is hugely promising, Ying adds. “Look at China, for example, with its population of 1 billion. With greater economic prosperity and a growing middle class that can afford to pay for better health-care, rising demand for sterile disposable products will follow and the use of disposable products in hospitals will increase. We anticipate the same trend in other markets such as India, Brazil and Latin America.” • 12 Smarter Packaging
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Business Segment Director at BillerudKorsnäs, says priorities are governed by the level of prosperity in a particular region. “We see this in the requirements specified for the seal in the packaging. In the West, the expectation is that the paper should be detached from the plastic film without affecting the fibre in the paper, while many developing countries tolerate paper dust being released when the packaging is opened. In these countries, it may be that being able to package and sterilise instruments in the first place represents major progress.” Over the years, the company has built up a comprehensive understanding of its different customers’ requirements and needs.
“One of our strengths
is that in the collaboration with our customers we can develop products that meet their specific needs, or solve the problems they are facing, regardless of whether the aim is to obtain greater cost efficiency by increasing the production rate for the packs, or to improve paper strength to meet transport requirements,” Blacow says. The Beetham and Skärblacka mills’ products are designed for specific types of plastic film and sterilisation techniques. “Both the health care and medical technology industries are tremendously demanding and constantly raising the requirements for medical packaging. Higher performance at lower overall cost is one of the most important driving forces wherever you happen to be in the world,” Blacow says. • #3 1-2015
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sustainability
Putting down new roots Visitors to BillerudKorsnäs mills shouldn’t be surprised if they find themselves in the middle of a forest, planting baby spruce. Text karin strand photo ALexander von sydow
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eep in a forest in Frövi, central Sweden, representatives from the champagne producer Champagne Henriot and tpg Packaging are packing soil around the baby spruce they have just planted. Most of the group have named their trees after their children. Osvaldo Valente Pires, Head of Commercial Business at the French converter tpg Packaging, named his Alicia for his eight-month-old daughter. Soon there will be an entire grove of baby spruce in the forest clearing. “There’s one big family here now,” Pires says with a smile. Smarter Packaging 13
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Their tour guide is Lisa Jansson, an improvement coordinator at BillerudKorsnäs, whose introduction to forest management includes a tour of the mills’ surroundings. Among other things, the visitors learn that the upper part of the tree is used for pulp and paper, the lower part is used for wood products, and the top, bark and branches are used for energy production. After a short coffee break the group get to see a tree-harvesting machine at work. “They say a harvesting machine driver makes as many decisions each minute as a combat pilot does,” Jansson says, as one by one the French visitors climb aboard the harvesting machine to have their photos taken. Once they are at a safe distance, machine driver Jörgen Malmqvist starts the engine and demonstrates how a spruce is felled, debranched and cut into timber in just seconds. The process is filmed by at least five smartphones as one tree after the other is converted into timber. Guillaume Gaillet, Product Agent at Champagne Henriot, says: “As end users we 14 Smarter Packaging
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are not at all aware of the process behind the cartonboard we use. I just couldn’t imagineall of this.” For Gaillet, the highlight of the tour was the
board machine in the mill. “And also how you handle the raw material,” he says. Both Gaillet and Marion Lejault, Product Manager at Henriot, say there are many reasons why Champagne Henriot uses cartonboard packaging for its champagne bottles. “It is important for us to stand out from the competition. We want consumers to spot our bottles immediately,” Lejault says. Gaillet says the bottles are also easier to pack and transport when they are in cartonboard packages. “And we can use the packaging to convey a message to consumers about our champagne house and our traditions,” Gaillet adds. It was TPG Packaging that introduced Champagne Henriot to BillerudKorsnäs cartonboard. Maxence Allain, Co-Director of tpg Packaging, says it was a question of quality.
“BillerudKorsnäs packaging materials have qualities that make them especially suitable for sophisticated printing and embossing.” tpg Packaging has customers in several fields, including the champagne, cognac and food industries. Agneta Rognli, Market Manager at Billerud Korsnäs, says the tours are a great way for the company to build relationships with its customers. “It is also important to show the customers and brand owners the entire value chain and create an understanding for the process that results in the cartonboard.” After a chicken pasta salad it’s time for the visitors to get into their cars and head to Stockholm-Arlanda airport for their flight back to France. “The trees that you have planted here today will grow at about the same pace as the children you have named them after,” Rognli tells the group. “You should come back in 10 or 20 years and see how they have grown. You are always welcome.” • #3 1-2015
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sustainability
Seeing
the woods through the trees
“The trees that you have planted here today will grow at the same pace as the children you have named them after,” Agneta Rognli (left) tells the visitors.
The raw material Annual timber purchases at BillerudKorsnäs amount to just under 12 million cubic metres sub (solid under bark), of which just under 10 million cubic metres sub is used in its Swedish mills. The rest is sold on to sawmills and consumers of spruce fibre, mainly in Sweden and Latvia. BillerudKorsnäs buys 75 percent of its wood from Sweden, almost 25 percent from Norway, Finland and the Baltic countries, with the rest coming from Britain, Russia and Belarus. BillerudKorsnäs production units are certified according to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as well as the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) chain-of-custody standards. Forest certification means that the raw material comes from forests that are managed responsibly in terms of environmental, social and economic requirements.
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Forest certification highlights the environmental benefits of fibre-based packaging materials and creates a link between forest owners and end users. text Ulf wiman photo alexander von sydow
P
aper consumption is unlikely to decreaseany time soon. For many of the paper and pulp companies, the increasing demands for sustainability and responsible forest management are high on the agenda and quite a few see this as an opportunity. BillerudKorsnäs has its operations firmly rootedin the eco-cycle and the company aims to be a prominent player in a society no longer dependent on fossil fuels. Paper can be a more eco-friendly and endur
ingalternative than other packaging mate rials, but the raw material and its supply chain has to be safeguarded. This is where forest certification comes into the picture. Caroline Rothpfeffer (inset), Environmental
Manager at BillerudKorsnäs Forestry, says: “Our customers demandthat their raw material comes from responsibly managed forests. Certification is an important work tool. It proves that our forestry is ecofriendly and it keeps our working methods and routines in order.” The guidelines for wood procurement at BillerudKorsnäs are crucial to the company’s forest certification, which relies on the Forest Stewardship Council (fsc) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (pefc) systems (see sidebar). Per Funkquist, who is in charge of Forest and Chain of Custody certification at BillerudKorsnäs Forestry, says: “There are various levels, starting with Controlled Wood, where only materials from acceptable sources may be used, excluding, for Smarter Packaging 15
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sustainability
Stamps of quality Founded in 1993, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international non-profit organisation promoting environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests. The total FSC-certified area exceeds 183 million hectares in 79 countries. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is the world’s largest forest certification system, covering 260 million hectares of certified forests. Founded in 1999, the non-profit organisation promotes sustainable forest management and has 36 endorsed national certification systems.
example, illegally harvested wood or wood from forests where high environmental values are threatened.” Depending on the customer, there may be calls for fsc- or pefc-labelled products. This requires material from certified forests and a chain of custody (CoC) certificate. Every company throughout the value chain must be CoC approved. BillerudKorsnäs manages both large and small forestry holdings. The company also runs an fsc and 16 Smarter Packaging
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“ Everybody in the value chain gains from highlighting the positive characteristics of fibre-based products.” er Funkquist P Business Developer Forest Certification at BillerudKorsnäs Forestry
pefc forest management group certificate and
encourages private forest owners to become members. All certificates are audited yearly by accredited, independent certification companies. “Third-party audits are an important part of our business model. It builds credibility and keeps us on our toes,” Funkquist says. “Everybody in the value chain gains from highlighting the positive characteristics of fibre-based products. Certification is the best tool to communicate this.” • #3 1-2015
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customer case: schut packaging
Nivea is just one of the companies that Dutch packaging firm Schut Packaging has wooed through its creative use of BillerudKorsnäs White cartonboard. Text thessa lageman photo istockphoto & malou von breevoorth (next page)
The
perfect match Y
ou could say it was love at first sight
when Nivea laid eyes on the Valentine’s Day gift box designed by Schut Packaging. Nivea wanted the gift packaging for three small tins of Nivea Creme to be creative and functional, and that’s exactly what they got. Paul Witjes, Senior Account Manager at Schut Packaging, says: “Valentine’s Day is about love, of course, so naturally our first thought was to have heart-shaped packaging. The heart design was a direct hit.” Wilbert van Leest, Point of Sale Manager at Beiersdorf, says: “We have been working together for about five years now. I’m alwayshappy to see Paul because he always comes up with innovative ideas.” A specialist in folded carton and transparent packaging, Schut Packaging designs 10 to 12 gift packs per year for Nivea’s parent
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customer case: schut packaging The Nivea gift box takes shape at Schut Packaging’s office. Paul Witjes, Senior Account Manager at Schut Packaging, says the design was an instant hit.
“ Valentine’s Day is about love so naturally our first thought was to have heart-shaped packaging.” Paul Witjes, Senior Account Manager at Schut Packaging
company Beiersdorf. Most are for special occasions such as Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. For years now the material of choice for Beiersdorf and other companies has been 270 gram BillerudKorsnäs White. “We usually work with this type of cartonboard when designing cosmetics packaging,” Witjes says. “BillerudKorsnäs White is easy to process on our machines. The material is sturdy and easy to fold. It also has a nice coating and a white interior, giving it a stylish look. It has the appearance of a premium cosmetics product.” Beiersdorf weren’t the only ones bowled over by the design. The packaging was also nominated in the Beauty & Cosmetics category at the 2014 Pro Carton ecma Awards, an annual showcase for Europe’s best sustainable packaging solutions. “The gift box was nominated for the orig18 Smarter Packaging
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inality of the packaging with three Nivea tins in the shape of a heart,” Witjes says. “We also managed to limit the amount of packaging and made it easy to fill and close. Thanks to a combination of good design, packaging and printing, it’s easy to see which Nivea product is inside and that it’s specifically designed for Valentine’s Day.” Schut Packaging won the award for Most Innovative Carton at the 2013 ECMA Awards with its Deltaclip® design for cardboard paperclips, but this year lost out to the Issey Miyake perfume Pleats Please L’Élixir in the Beauty & Cosmetics category. “When you enter a competition of course you want to win,” Witjes says. “But there can only be one winner. We’re extremely proud to be the only Dutch firm nominated for the second consecutive year.” •
The material
Nivea Creme Valentine gift box Material: BillerudKorsnäs White 270 gsm Brand owner: Beiersdorf Designers: Lucas Westerik, Louis Stoel and Paul Witjes Converter: Schut Packaging For more information, please contact: devlin.osborn@billerudkorsnas.com
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Paan masala
Indians have been using paan as a mouth freshener for generations. Originally, paan consisted of betel leaves filled with catechu (acacia extract), betel nuts and lime. Over the years, the product has become more and more commercialised. Certain ingredients have been powdered and blended with other products such as tobacco and sweet or savoury flavourings. The mixture is sold in small bags as paan masala (masala is the Hindi name for a blend of spices and other flavourings). In 2011, the Indian government cited health reasons in banning tobacco as an additive.
The material
BillerudKorsnäs Conflex® Glaze S 45 GSM is a highstrength product.
For more information contact: rajeev.goyal@billerudkornas.com
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With 200 million potential daily consumers, even the smallest of paper bags is good business in India’s thriving paan masala market. text susanna lindgren
Package to India
hen one of India’s best-selling brands of mouth freshener decided to repackage its product, Rajeev Goyal, the local manager at the BillerudKorsnäs Dubai office (which covers the region), saw a golden opportunity. In 2011 the Indian government banned plastic packaging due to environmental reasons, paving the way for the use of paper. “The packaging industry in India was used to printing high-quality graphical imageson metallised polyester for different brands of paan masala. Because of the ban, most switched to 45–50 gram clay coated #3 1-2015
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paper in order to obtain an equally colourrich product,” Goyal says. This led to problems since the sharp edges of
the betel nuts perforated the paper sachets, allowing moisture and oxygen to get into the product and spoil the flavour. “To get sales of our solution going, we invited potential customers and manufacturers to a seminar,” Goyal says. “The ds Group, which makes one of the biggest and most expensive paan masala brands in India [Rajnigandha] saw the benefits of what we were offering.”
The ds Group was looking for a more sustainable paper for Rajnigandha and seized on the suggestion of using BillerudKorsnäs Conflex Glaze S 45 gram paper, laminatedwith aluminium foil on both sides and suitable for hologram printing. The paperminimised the risk of per foration, and hologram printing made pirating– a common problem – more difficult. “Our hard-wearing paper also made it possible to maintain the same high production rate as for polyester, without tearing,” Goyal says. • Smarter Packaging 19
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Stijn Huybrechts, European Category Manager and Head of Specialities at Papyrus in Belgium.
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new segments
At your service Service is a keyword for Papyrus, one of Europe’s leading merchants in paper, facility supplies and industrial packaging. Text lars österlind photo malou von breevorth
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ith 43 warehouses across Europeand a 24-hour delivery service, Papyrus knows what it takes to become a successful paper merchant. “Availability and reliability, those are the things that customers value the most,” says Stijn Huybrechts, who is responsible for supplier management at Papyrus. The history of Papyrus mirrors the paper industry’s development during the 20th century. Founded in 1895, Papyrus has grown from a small-scale business serving a fragmented market to a consolidated, panEuropean operation. With net sales of eur 1,6 million in 2013 and some 2,000 employees, the company holds the number one position in Continental Europe and the number two position in Europe as a whole. Papyrus’s operations are divided into two main business areas: graphical and business paper and supplies. The company is one of few merchant partners of BillerudKorsnäs, with Papyrus acting as a middleman for #3 1-2015
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new segments
Completing the paper chain Strategic collaborations with selected paper merchants open up new markets. BillerudKorsnäs
Papyrus helps customers choose the right product for the right application.
“ All of the grades are innovative quality products, which allow our customers to be creative.” Stijn Huybrechts
smaller businesses interested in cartonboard. Key to this is a widespread distribution network across Europe. “We have great coverage in Continental Europe, which means that we can give excellent service to our customers who want small quantities fast,” Huybrechts says. The company’s distribution set-up has resulted in high market shares. Papyrus has more than 68,000 customers and a presence in 19 countries across Europe, although one country sticks out. “Germany represents half of our business,” Huybrechts says. Spurred by the success of BillerudKorsnäs cartonboard products in Germany, Papyrus entered into a co-operation with BillerudKorsnäs in Benelux two years ago and business is growing. Huybrechts says that although the demandfor cardboard for graphical applicationsis declining somewhat in Europe,the demand for cardboard pack 22 Smarter Packaging
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aging applications is increasing. BillerudKorsnäs White cartonboard is a bestseller. “All of the grades are innovative quality products, which allow our customers to be creative,” Huybrechts says. “Our job is to help them choose the right product for the right application.” The future for the paper industry’s supply chain is an even stronger focus on the customer, Huybrechts says. “We need to step away from product selling to bringing solutions to the customer. The challenge for the paper industry, with a decreasing market, is to take out all the unnecessary costs in the valuechain, work more efficiently and integrated, and improve services. We need to become supply-chain experts. Creating logisticalsolutions, financing services and offering product training and consulting add value for our customers. That’s the cherry on the cake for them.” •
started working with Papyrus in 2002 and is today reaping the benefits of a long and fruitful relationship. Jan Forsberg, Sales Director Cartonboard, says: “They help us understand the needs of new markets and assist us when we enter new segments.” Paper merchants account for 10–15 percent of BillerudKorsnäs cartonboard sales and are vital to the company’s business. “The packaging market is highly fragmented,” Forsberg says. “There are many small customers ordering small volumes. With our sales organisation of 12 people, there is no way we could serve the whole market.” By maintaining large stock inventories at nearby warehouses, Papyrus is able to provide small customers with a high level of service. “Papyrus is very proactive,” Forsberg says. “If we have sold products to a converter that might need to place an extra order, Papyrus makes a fast extra delivery.” Papyrus also helps BillerudKorsnäs cartonboard products to find their way to new markets. “Papyrus has done a great job in Germany and in 2014 we began working together in Benelux. We are looking into developing business in new markets as well,” Forsberg says. “Paper merchants complement our own service, and together we offer our customers a comprehensive solution.” • For more information, please contact: jan.forsberg@billerudkorsnas.com
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Gold covered For this issue of Smarter Packaging, we have piled on the glitter with a sparkling Serigraph varnish for the metallic gold headline. The cover is made of BillerudKorsnäs White, a cartonboard with a unique combination of extreme formability and outstanding print surface. BillerudKorsnäs White is suited for products where design, shape and graphics work together to provide the highest possible visual impact.
The masthead is embossed to make it literally stand out from the rest of the cover.
Spots of glitter with golden fragments are applied across the cover.
The main headline is printed in a metallic gold spot colour and then partially varnished with golden fragments.
A magazine from BillerudKorsnäs #3
The entire cover is printed with a water based silk varnish for protection.
Eyes on the prize Setting the gold standard in innovation
FLYING ON TO THE SHELVES ● VALENTINE’S WINNER ● FIRST GRADE MEDICAL PAPER
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