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Sustainable solutions
“This collaborative approach ensures that even the most nuanced customer preferences are well managed, achieving the best possible results,” she says, adding that quality is always the company’s top focus. No limit on innovation Metsä Board’s Packaging Services Director Ilkka Harju says that such meetings of the minds are crucial in taking industries forward. “We currently have the technology and ex- pertise to realise all types of ideas cost-effec- tively,” he says. The meeting in Riga also went beyond plain quality control issues. “The entire day was mostly about product de- velopment and thinking about the next steps: what new innovations can we accomplish to- gether?” Sorokivskaya agrees. During the meeting, many interesting topics were discussed, includ- ing further cooperation on other new and ex- citing projects such as those planned for 2024. “Our packaging designers gained experience by collaborating with Metsä Board’s team and shared their knowledge and creative ideas with Lumene. Our mission is to bring our custom- ers’ ideas to life, and we believe the best results can only be achieved through teamwork involv- ing customers and all other relevant business partners,” Sorokivskaya says. Brainstorming edge Arola says that making frequent visits to pack- aging houses is a must for Lumene – and when- ever you get the chance to do some brainstorm- ing together, that presents a golden opportunity. “We find that these onsite meetings are very constructive and regularly yield some fresh ide- as.” According to her, the paperboard provided by Metsä Board is also top-notch. “We know Metsä Board as an innovation leader that is fully capable of doing exciting new things,” Arola says, adding that as Metsä Board knows the materials and the technolo- gy through-and-through, this opens intrigu- ing possibilities for ambitious collaborations.
Arola has more than 15 years of experience from packaging, materials and manufacturing. “At Lumene, we’re currently implementing more sustainable cosmetics packaging by using recycled materials and ensuring easy recycla- bility after the product life-cycle,” she explains. “At the same time, we’re constantly looking into completely new material innovations – and Metsä Board is an important partner for us in this process.” Know your material In the Advent Calendar project, MetsäBoard Pro FBB Bright is used. Sorokivskaya says that this particular board material is a great choice for premium packaging within the beauty and cosmetics segment. “Its excellent smoothness, surface proper- ties and high brightness allow outstanding R/V printing. This includes high-gloss varnish, hot foil stamping and other special finishing effects that were particularly essential for this project,” she explains. According to Sorokivskaya, cooperating ef- fectively with suppliers such as Metsä Board is essential because it gives the packaging expert a profound understanding and knowledge of all the possibilities of the material itself. “For example, in this case, Metsä Board’s team recommended the most suitable paperboard variant, enabling our design teams to provide impeccable volumetric solutions tailored to our customer’s requirements, ensuring premium quality and punctual delivery.” Return of in-person meetings Meeting people in person takes interaction to a whole new level. After the pandemic era and Teams calls, it is certainly refreshing to get out there and see things for yourself, says Harju. “When we get together like this, it’s so much easier to offer feedback and touch on a range of issues. In-person interaction is more fluid and natural.” “After the isolation of Covid-19, that’s some- thing we all need. It’s time to get the ball roll- ing again with creative collaboration,” Arola agrees. •
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