SWEDEN -- Södra and Svenskt Butikskött have now signed a cooperation agreement to develop fully biodegradable, fibre-based packaging for Svensk Butikskött's meat products. Södra's renewable material Durapulp is to be used as the packaging and it is hoped that the new packaging solution will be available on store shelves in as little as a year's time.

Many Swedes purchase meat at least once a week. To ensure that the meat they buy retains its quality, packaging is required that meets the high sustainability and safety demands placed on foodstuffs. Svenskt Butikskött now wants to take this further and develop packaging that also lives up to the company's own demands for ecological sustainability. This is why it has become involved in a new, major packaging project in cooperation with Södra.

DuraPulp has been developed by Södra from forest raw material. It is a biodegradable and renewable material that can replace fossil-based products. The material is stable, water resistant and highly durable. It is malleable and can be used for every type of product, from manufacturing materials to sophisticated design.

"We are very pleased and excited about our new cooperation with Södra," said Thomas Östlund, owner of Svenskt Butikskött. "We are passionate about ecological sustainability and we hope that the new agreement will enable us to develop 100-percent biodegradable, fibre-based packaging for our products. Our current packaging solution is recyclable, but not biodegradable and compostable - which is not sufficient for a company with our ecological profile."

"Both producers and consumers are demanding sustainable alternatives to packaging made from fossil-based materials like plastic," said Erik Bengtson, business developer at Södra. "This is where the forest and the forest industry have a lot to offer. We have a fantastic, renewable commodity and we have the knowledge and experience to develop new solutions that are required for a climate-smart future. DuraPulp is a 100-percent sustainable alternative that is well-suited for packaging intended for sensitive substances such as food."

The agreement implies that the development and prototype production will commence already during the summer and is expected to be completed in the autumn. If there is a positive result for the prototype, the work will continue to pre-industrial production and initial customer testing before the end of the year. It is hoped to develop packaging that can already be used within about a year.

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