Aristo and Stora Enso Collaboration Advances dispersion barrier board for food packaging

Swedish packaging company Aristo has partnered with Stora Enso to develop and implement a grease-resistant paperboard solution aimed at replacing plastic-coated materials in food packaging applications.

The collaboration builds on Aristo’s “delibox” concept, introduced in 2018 for ready-made meals such as salads, sushi, and takeaway foods. Initially, grease resistance was achieved באמצעות an արտաքին varnish layer, which created inefficiencies in conversion processes and led to material losses.

In response, Stora Enso introduced CKB Nude Aqua in 2020, a multilayer kraft paperboard featuring a dispersion coating designed for foldable packaging. Aristo adopted the material and has since expanded its use across multiple foodservice formats.

The board combines unbleached chemical pulp with chemi-thermo-mechanical cellulose, providing structural rigidity. Its dispersion coating offers grease resistance for contact with dry and fatty foods at temperatures up to 90°C for up to two hours.

According to Dan Möller, sales manager at Aristo, a key requirement was ensuring compatibility with existing production lines while maintaining functional performance. The material supports conventional gluing methods and enables stable packaging production at lower basis weights.

Tomi Nurminen, head of the CKB product line at Stora Enso, said the development focused on balancing barrier performance with converting efficiency, allowing manufacturers to avoid modifications to existing processes.

The solution also addresses recyclability concerns. The dispersion barrier replaces traditional plastic layers, improving fiber recovery. The material has been evaluated under CEPI methods and the 4evergreen protocol and is certified as industrially compostable for lower basis weights.

Demand for such alternatives is being driven by regulatory developments, including the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), as well as brand-led sustainability targets in the ready-to-eat food segment.

Aristo currently supplies packaging solutions using the material to foodservice brands across Nordic markets, including applications in takeaway, retail, and transport packaging.