Finland-based Metsä Board is planning to launch polyethylene (PE) coated paperboards for the consumer goods, retail-ready and food service packaging sectors.
The paperboards will be produced on a new extrusion line, which will become operational in early 2017 and offer a PE coating capacity of around 100,000t per year.
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PE is the most common barrier used against moisture and grease for food packaging.
Metsä Board CEO Mika Joukio said: "To support our customers’ businesses, we combine our paperboard know-how with the latest technology.
"As announced in November last year, Metsä Board is investing in a new extrusion line at the Husum mill. We have recently chosen the main suppliers and the project is proceeding.
"At Husum mill we are also operating Europe’s most modern folding boxboard machine which started production at the beginning of this year."
The company is also developing new barrier solutions that use bio-based materials.
Metsä Board’s Carta Dedica product line fulfils the requirements of the food service market by providing an alternative paperboard based on renewable fresh forest fibres.
The product range is suitable for manufacturing cups, plates and trays.
Before the new extrusion line is completed, Metsä Board will provide PE-coated food service boards using external converters.
The company will end the rest of its paper production this year to focus solely on paperboards made from fresh forest fibres.
In April, Metsä Board inaugurated its new folding boxboard machine in Husum, Sweden.
The newly installed machine is a part of the company’s €170m investment programme at the Husum site.
Image: Metsä Board’s new PE coated products. Photo: courtesy of Metsä Board.
