Finnish wood beats plastic packaging
As part Finland’s eco-initiatives, the state organisation Business Finland is supporting companies in replacing plastic packaging with alternative wooden packaging, because there is still too much plastic waste. In Germany, for example, packaging accounts for 27% of the total plastic used, but at the same time plastic packaging accounts for almost 60% of plastic waste.
Finnish packaging companies offer sustainable and wood-based alternatives, since the logistics and packaging industry plays a significant role in the Nordic country.
These include companies such as Paptic, a developer of recyclable, biodegradable, plastic-free packaging material for bags, mail bags and flexible packaging; Jospak, a provider of recyclable and gas-tight cardboard packaging for the sustainable food industry; and Wipak, a global provider of packaging solutions and services for food, medical devices and pharmaceutical products.
Three quarters of Finland's land area are covered with forests, so packaging research (VTT, for example) is looking to wood-based innovations to replace traditional plastic packaging. (sh)