Stora Enso And Partners Develop Velvet-Soft Plastic-Free Papira Packaging Material

Stora Enso has partnered with Krekelberg Flock Products and Flocktechniek – C&B Innovations to create a velvet-soft, plastic-free packaging material by combining Papira wood foam with advanced flocking technology. Papira, a lightweight, cellulose-based foam that is plastic free, recyclable in paperboard streams and biodegradable, is transformed into a 3D structure whose surface is coated with biodegradable eucalyptus-based cellulose flock fibers from Krekelberg, applied using Flocktechniek’s electrostatic flocking process. The result is a renewable, low-carbon material with a customizable velvety finish in colour, gloss, pattern and texture, expanding design possibilities for protective and premium packaging applications. Produced with water-based adhesives, Oeko-Tex certified pigments and FSC-certified fibres, the solution unites circularity, performance and aesthetics, highlighting how cross-industry collaboration can reimagine fiber-based materials as high-touch, plastic-free alternatives to traditional foams.