Solenis Acquires Lilleborg from Orkla, Expanding Food and Beverage and Institutional Businesses in Norway

Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring and Valmet are building a demo plant in Äänekoski. The plant will manufacture new 3D fibre products for food packaging and other purposes. The demo plant reached its full height on 23 March 2021 with construction work proceeding as planned. The main equipment delivered by Valmet will be installed in the autumn 2021, and the first test runs should begin at the end of 2021 – approximately 12 months after the start of the construction. “The demo plant will test the production of new 3D fibre-based packaging. New packages will be tested with different partners to receive feedback on their market feasibility,” says Veli-Matti Hulkko, Technology Manager at Metsä Spring. The advanced production process is efficient and flexible. Wood fibre from Metsä Group’s mills could be used to produce large volumes of completely ready packages for different purposes.

LESSEAU®, the pioneering touchless dispensing and solid hand wash technology brought to you through a partnership between Diversey – A Solenis Company and Slimstones B.V., earned the prestigious Amsterdam Innovation Award in the Sustainability & Environment category. Notably, LESSEAU was also named the Overall Winner of the Amsterdam Innovation Award, marking a significant achievement for sustainability and innovation in the cleaning and hygiene industry. Compared to liquid hand washing soap, LESSEAU hand wash bars contain 95% less water and are significantly smaller, lighter and have zero plastic packaging. The Amsterdam Innovation Award, granted every two years to the most innovative products, services or solutions, represents an exceptional accomplishment. LESSEAU’s triumph in the Sustainability & Environment category and its recognition as the Overall Winner underscore its commitment to revolutionizing hand hygiene platforms by eliminating single-use plastics and promoting sustainability across the industry.

Huhtamaki is pleased to announce the commencement of smooth molded fiber (SMF) production at Huhtamaki’s existing molded fiber facility in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. This expansion marks an important step in Huhtamaki’s ongoing commitment to meeting the growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions.  This investment will increase Huhtamaki's global capacity and footprint in SMF products, complementing our existing SMF production sites in Germany, Holland, and the USA, as well as capacity created together with our strategic partners in Asia.  Building on Huhtamaki’s 40-year of experience in fiber products, our in-house state-of-the-art SMF technology provides products with superior quality and competitiveness. All Huhtamaki fiber lids come with a patented and unique click-fit function to ensure the most secure lid closure. Huhtamaki fiber lids, like all other Huhtamaki SMF products, are home compostable and easy to recycle.