The Swedish startup Enkei needed to find a smart and sustainable packaging solution to protect their handcrafted designer table lamp Reminder (001) – without compromising on sustainability, safety or aesthetics. Packed and protected in a combination of corrugated board and the cushioning material Papira® by Stora Enso – both materials made by Stora Enso – the Reminder (001) can now safely make its way to customers all over the world.
Sustainable and superior protection
“We have extremely high requirements when it comes to sustainability. At the same time, we strive to make the sustainable alternative attractive, and that is why high-quality design is so important to us. We wanted to find a packaging solution that safely protected the lamp, was aesthetically pleasing, and left a low climate footprint,” says Lovisa Sunnerholm, CEO at Enkei.
Papira® is a bio-based and biodegradable* foam made of wood fibers that are sourced from sustainably managed forests. It is fully recyclable** within standard paper and board recycling and has high shock-absorbing qualities, ensuring superior protection for delicate items like the Reminder lamp.
“The 5 kg Reminder lamp, made of, for example, fashion waste and a bottom of sustainable concrete, was an exciting packaging design challenge. This is a perfect example of how Papira can provide sustainable cushioning for fragile and heavy items without adding excessive weight and volume to the packaging, all while eliminating plastic,” says Paula Martirez, Business Development Manager at Stora Enso.
Reminder 001 is Enkei’s debut product and serves as a manifestation of their circular production. Their mission is to address the construction industry's waste and pollution challenges via objects referred to as “Circular aesthetics, everyday reminders.” During the process, the packaging design changed over time, to use planks more efficiently but also to reduce costs and materials. Due to Papira’s strong outer skin, we were able to partially cut and use it as a hinge, allowing us to fold the package in place instead of using glue.
“Every decision behind the lamp is carefully taken and every component of the lamp is there for a reason – always with the ambition to prevent valuable resources from being thrown away whilst creating an end result that is desirable”, says Miriam Bichsel, Creative Director at Enkei.
“It is always a pleasure to collaborate with customers who have high standards for both design and sustainability in packaging. Designing the packaging for this product was a challenging task that required a comprehensive solution, taking various functionalities and materials into account. The product primarily consists of two distinct parts: the lamp base, which is heavy and fragile, and the lamp shade, which is light and easily damaged. This imbalance in weight distribution necessitated a packaging solution that not only protects the product from external hazards but also prevents the components from damaging each other. We rose to the challenge by utilizing our innovative Papira® foam for protection and corrugated board to ensure a pleasant unboxing experience and secure the product in place”, says Liga Viksne, Senior Packaging designer at Stora Enso.
Teaming up with sustainable initiatives
Stora Enso believes that everything made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Working with sustainable initiatives like Enkei is perfect for Stora Enso as we are working on scaling Papira® from pilot to industrial production. There is much to learn from other pioneers, and we need this kind of collaboration for our iterative process.
“Collaboration is such an important part of our innovation process. We can only replace fossil-based materials and establish Papira on the market if we offer solutions that our customers need and want. With collaborations like this, we can prove that our product fulfills customer requirements. And then of course, one gets a lot of energy and inspiration from collaborating with other parties”, says Julia Broszat, Solutions Development Specialist at Stora Enso.
About Papira® by Stora Enso
The wood-based foam in Papira® is manufactured in an environmentally friendly production process. Our team is working on scaling from pilot to industrial production and will be available on the market in a few years. In the meantime, we work with selected projects and companies in order to test, build knowledge, and prepare for implementation.
For more information on Papira® by Stora Enso, please contact Paula Martirez, Business Development Manager at Stora Enso.
*The biodegradation and disintegration of Papira under screening home composting conditions has been tested by Normec OWS.
** Recyclable according to Cepi Version 2, score 100/100
