Stora Enso teams up with Swedish startup Enkei to find a smart and sustainable packaging solution to protect Enkei’s 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 make its way to customers all over the world.
“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 – the company claims – 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.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 