Billerud becomes first papermaker in the world with own development centre for packaging for fresh produce

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Goods worth massive sums are destroyed every yearbecause of poor quality packaging. Billerud is now establishing its owndevelopment centre for packaging research focused on corrugatedcontainers that will be the first of its kind in the world. It willhelp provide consumers with better quality fruit and vegetables, amongother products.

Packaging is often theweak link for exports. Each year in Europe, fruit and vegetables wortharound ten billion euros are destroyed because they are packaged inboxes that are damaged during transport causing the contents to bedamaged, too. Growers try to avoid this problem by harvesting unripefruit and vegetables and produce that is harder and thus more resistantto bumps and jolts during the transport phase.

Thatmeans, for example, that people in Scandinavia eat less nutritiousfruit and vegetables because the supply of nutrients ends as soon asthe fruit is harvested. Billerud is now intensifying its research intotransport packaging. The company’s new laboratory, Billerud Box Lab,will be inaugurated on June 28 at 10 am.

“Wehave previously performed research into stronger fibre-based transportpackaging, and we are now stepping up this initiative. We are probablythe first papermaker in the world with its own development centre ofthis kind. The new laboratory will take the development of corrugatedboxes to the next level,” explains Lennart Eberleh, head of Billerud’sPackaging Boards business area.

At BoxLab, Billerud’s experts will measure the long-term performance of boxesand perform tests in a climate chamber where temperatures and moisturelevels can be varied to mirror conditions in the transport phase forfilled packaging. Five additional compression testers will be installedin the climate chamber. This will help to increase the pace and qualityof testing work and the number of customer-oriented developmentprojects.

”While we were developingBillerud Flute, which is the strongest fluting on the market, weacquired extensive knowledge about the optimum design of extremepackaging. Now we want to take this knowledge one step further and helpsuppliers of fruit and vegetables who are currently losing value due toinefficient packaging. We wish to develop a global standard forcorrugated boxes that tolerates the toughest conditions,” said PerLindberg, President and CEO of Billerud.

BillerudFlute is based on 100 per cent primary fibre and is sold all over theworld to container board producers, with a main focus on packaging forfruit and vegetables, meat and heavy duty items. Billerud also sellsliner that forms the outer layer of corrugated board. This liner ismade of primary fibre and is suitable for direct contact with food aswell as having the strength needed for demanding transport situations.

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