Three reasons why Papira® by Stora Enso outperforms traditional plastic foam solutions

For about half a century, foamed polyethylene (EPE), polyurethane (PU) and expanded polystyrene (EPS) have been utilised as the go-to material for several packaging applications. However, they are now faced with new, innovative competitors like Papira® by Stora Enso. But why switch to this new material? Read into three key reasons why.

Cushioning is an essential part of protecting fragile goods from shock and vibration. That’s why for many decades, plastic foams have been used as a versatile and cost-effective solution. However plastic based foams are problematic. If they leak out to nature the material is inert and will not degrade. Furthermore, plastic foams are generally made from finite sources, mainly crude oil, which leads to a release of fossil carbon at its end of life.

To turn these challenges into a thing of the past, Stora Enso has developed a lightweight, paper-based foam for protection and cushioning in packaging. Here are three key reasons why Papira® by Stora Enso is better than conventional plastic foams.

1. A bio-based product – Plastic foams used in cushioning today are mainly made of crude oil, resulting in a product with a high carbon footprint over its lifetime and other environmental issues.
2. Recyclable in the paper stream – Even though plastic foams such as expanded polystyrene or polyethylene foams are lightweight and handy, recycling them is difficult. Paper-based Papira® by Stora Enso is designed for recycling in paper or carton streams.
3. Biodegradable and compostable – As a material, Papira® is designed to be biodegradable. Therefore, it does not become waste or pollution even if not recycled properly.
   more at: https://www.storaenso.com/en/newsroom/news/2023/4/three-reasons-why-papira-outperforms-traditional-plastic-foams