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THE COVER IS THE BUSINESS CARD OF THE BOOK
Book cover trends, including materi- als and designs used, are constantly changing. During the last decade, for example, matte and glossy lamination have been used a lot. “Now, natural surfaces are popular, and we use more natural boards with water-based varnish,” says publishing company Penguin Random House’s Vice President, Production Barbara Scheuer . The company publishes around 2,000 new editions annually in Germany. Another topical trend in Germany is the rising popularity of paperbacks – especially among young adults. “The trend is very much in the direction of paperbacks with flaps and edge cut. Hardbacks are still there, but they are
more premium products.” Ideally, a book cover matches the content and transports it in a way that meets the taste of the main audience group. “The cover is the business card of the book, the first look and feel.” Bestsellers can become trendsetters too: “If there is a book which sells well, everybody tries to copy it and the look and feel of the design of the cover.” According to Scheuer, mechanical paper is becoming more common, and also Penguin Random House has also switched to it. “And we only use papers and materials which are under a cer- tain CO 2 level.”
Innovative paperboard mailer replaces plastic ExpandFibre is an R&D collaboration and an Ecosystem launched by Fortum, a Nordic energy company, and Metsä Group to ac- celerate the development of sustainable bioproducts. It focuses on upgrading pulp fibres, hemicellulose and lignin from renew- able and sustainable sources of straw and northern wood into new bioproducts. As part of the project, Metsä Board and its partners designed a novel mailing envelope to replace bubble-lined mailers. Product development resulted in an innovation: a flat product resembling corrugated packaging that protects the mailed product. “We wanted to design a mailing envelope that was easier to recy- cle,” says Ilkka Harju , Metsä Board’s Packaging Services Director. Before the product’s completion, Metsä Board conducted a con- sumer survey comparing the ExpandFibre mailing envelope with a traditional bubble-lined mailer. Survey respondents rated the paperboard-based mailing envelope more highly than its coun- terpart and considered it to be more ecological. Workshops organised at Metsä Board’s Excellence Centre brought together the expertise of three Finnish companies. “Automation expert Jomet has designed the technology for pro- ducing the envelope. The outer part of the envelope is made of Paptic’s bio-based, recyclable packaging material, and the flut- ed structure inside the envelope is made of Metsä Board’s white kraftliner,” Ilkka Harju says. Funding is now being sought for the product, and an appropri- ate business model is being created for the market launch.
Fibre-based fluted structure replaces bubble-lining.
MAKING RECYCLING EASY WITH QR CODES
Metsä Board is launching a new solu- tion to enhance and simplify the recy- cling process for packaging materials customers receive as part of Metsä Board product deliveries. “The implementation of the new recycling QR codes on our paper- board deliveries stems from a strong commitment to sustainability and customer convenience,” says Isto Hongisto , Product Safety Specialist at Metsä Board. Metsä Board has implemented QR codes on its products’ pallet and reel labels for all volumes delivered to its customers. The QR code directs customers to an intuitive app that provides detailed information about
the various packaging materials used to protect the paperboard in the logis- tics chain. This information assists customers to determine how each component of the delivery’s packaging should be recycled. “Recycling can sometimes be com- plex, and our goal is to make it as seamless and straightforward as pos- sible for our customers. This initiative will not only save them time – it will also ensure that the materials used in our deliveries are optimally recycled.” Metsä Board invites all its customers to take advantage of this new feature and contribute to promoting efficient recycling practices in the packaging industry.
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