Espoo, Finland (News release) -- Metsä Group's innovation company, Metsä Spring, has started pre-commercial sales of its three-dimensional, wood-based packaging solution Muoto™. Muoto packages can be used in a wide range of applications, from takeaway to industrial packing. Its natural composition ensures safety and non-toxicity, while being lightweight, durable, and sturdy. During the pre-commercial phase, the availability of products will be limited by volume and packaging type.

Muoto products have been produced at Metsä Group's and Valmet's demo plant in Äänekoski, Finland, since May 2022. Metsä Group is now making its product available for pre-commercial sale, a significant milestone in the development of the business. If the results are successful, in 2025, Metsä Group will be in a position to evaluate investing in a first commercial factory and thus, start the Muoto business.

"We have been extremely pleased with the early results of Muoto. In wood-based product development, it's quite rare to have a product ready after only a few years of development. Designed for durability and safety, Muoto is ideal for a wide range of uses, from serving dishes to food containers - so we are ready to expand cooperation with pilot customers," says Jarkko Tuominen, Vice President of Projects at Metsä Spring.

Muoto's biggest advantage is that its production skips multiple supply chain steps that are required for other packaging solutions today. In the Muoto process, pulp slurry is fed into a mould, formed, dried, and cut, thus generating products that can be shipped directly to the customers, ready to be used in i.e., food packaging. The process also requires a minimal amount of water and other resources due to the innovative product structure, production process, and effective water circulation. The entire production process happens in one production line; it is largely automated and uses machine learning in multiple touchpoints, making the production process safe and reliable.

"By offering early access, we aim to gather valuable feedback and insights from customers to further refine our product. Together, we can explore new applications based on the market and customer needs," Jarkko Tuominen explains.

Due to the EU directive on single-use plastics, food packaging manufacturers in Europe are searching for affordable and more sustainable alternatives to current packaging solutions. Additionally, the European Commission's proposal for the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), when accepted, will force companies to promote circularity and reduce packaging's environmental impact.

"At Metsä Group, we are constantly looking into potential innovations that could bring more wood-based alternatives into everyday products, thus replacing, among others, various fossil-based products. With Muoto, we can offer an alternative to the plastic-dominated market, proving that functionality, responsibility, profitability, and design can go hand-in-hand," says Niklas von Weymarn, CEO at Metsä Spring.