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DESIGNING THE FUTURE: CIRCULAR PACKAGING
Metsä Board is committed to observing the Circularity by Design Guideline drafted by 4ever- green, which aims to increase the recycling rate of fibre-based packages to 90 per cent by 2030. The guideline emphasises that the starting point for packaging design must be the recyclability or reuse of packages. 4evergreen brings members from the entire pack- aging value chain together. Metsä Board is a found- ing member of the alliance. “Packaging design starts with a comprehensive understanding of the value chain. Designers must know the raw material they’re dealing with,” says Ilkka Harju , Packaging Services Director, EMEA & APAC, Metsä Board. In the design phase, they choose the best materials and manufacturing methods for the package’s pur-
pose. The choice of materials has an impact on ways of recycling the package and the carbon footprint created during the manufacturing of the product. “The design process for each package is unique, involving several different decisions. They must be considered from the perspectives of protecting the product and the environmental impact. The designer must understand the impact of materials when the volumes are large,” says Iiro Numminen , Packaging Designer at Metsä Board. He emphasises that thinking about the life-cycle of the package is important. EU regulations also direct operations towards life-cycle thinking. How- ever, according to McKinsey’s report, a reusable plas- tic package for e-commerce would need to be used 20 times for it to be a better option for the climate than corrugated board.
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