Metsä Group and Amcor Partner to Develop Molded Fiber-based Food Packaging Solutions

The partnership combines Metsä Group’s three-dimensional molded fibre-based packaging solution, Muoto™, with Amcor’s advanced film liners. Together, they aim to create laminated bio-based trays suitable for various food packaging applications, including modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).

Forestry industry company Metsä Group and Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, have announced a collaboration to develop three-dimensional moulded fibre packaging solutions with lidding and liners for a variety of food applications. The collaboration underscores Metsä Group and Amcor’s commitment to sustainability and innovation by creating recycle-ready packaging solutions.

Combining Metsä Group’s wood-based moulded fibre product, Muoto,™ developed by Metsä Spring, with Amcor’s advanced high-barrier film liner and lidding technology, the partnership seeks to deliver innovative fibre-based food packaging that protects perishable food products and extends shelf life.

Made from renewable wood pulp, Muoto is fully recyclable and biodegradable^[1]. It can be used in various applications, from takeaway to industrial packing. By integrating Amcor’s laminated film, Muoto gains enhanced functionality, including high-performance sealability.

Jarkko Tuominen, Vice President, Projects, Metsä Spring, said, “Our collaboration with Amcor represents a significant step forward in more sustainable packaging innovation. Metsä Group and Amcor have a longstanding relationship built on a shared commitment to reducing our environmental impact. Together, we are redefining the future of food packaging.”

Amcor offers a variety of fibre-based packaging solutions across its AmFiberTM global portfolio and speciality carton products. Amcor’s AmFiberTM products are currently on store shelves across the globe and are available for a wide range of applications, including snacks and confectionery, dry culinary and beverage, meat, dairy, home and personal care, and more. Amcor’s liner technology provides perfect formability and strength to a variety of moulded fibre-based trays to deliver a more sustainable packaging solution with exceptional functionality.

Ilya Syshchikov, Amcor’s Vice President, Fiber, said, “I am excited about this collaboration with our good partner Metsä. Both parties bring a wealth of materials, packaging, and market knowledge to deliver more sustainable solutions to our customers with exceptional quality, functionality, and efficiency.”

The full solution will be recyclable in the paper stream in most markets with a CEPI recyclability score of over 80%. In the longer term, the ambition is to develop a fully compostable solution. The first products from this partnership are expected to be commercially available in Europe later this year.

About the Businesses

Metsä Group has its roots in the Finnish forests: our parent company Metsäliitto Cooperative is owned by over 90,000 forest owners. We use wood to make recyclable products for the day-to-day lives of millions of people globally. We focus on wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, paperboards, and tissue and greaseproof papers. We are committed to the principles of regenerative forestry to measurably strengthen the state of forest nature. We promote a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion. In 2023 our sales totaled EUR 6.1 billion, and we have around 9,500 employees. Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring invests in and supports potential innovations and technologies that find new purposes and higher value for Nordic wood to replace fossil-based materials and chemicals in everyday products. We promote a culture of diversity, equality, and inclusion. To date, Metsä Spring has made six external startup investments (Woodio, Innomost, Montinutra, Fiberwood, Adsorbi, and FineCell), and has launched three in-house development projects, Kuura textile fibre, Muoto packaging solutions, and capture of biogenic CO2.

Amcor is a global leader in packaging solutions for consumer and healthcare products. With industry-leading innovation capabilities, global scale and technical expertise, we help our customers grow and meet the needs of millions of consumers every day. Our teams develop responsible, more sustainable packaging in flexible and rigid formats across multiple materials. Supported by a commitment to safety, ~70,000 colleagues across ~140 countries bring our global capabilities to local customers and provide local access to global brands. Our work is guided by our purpose of elevating customers, shaping lives and protecting the future. Learn more at: www.amcor.com