“In 2019, after we launched MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB, our lightweight dispersion-coated barrier paperboard, we approached Baronie to discuss how the product could help them because we were aware of their strong focus on improving packaging sustainability,” says Tom Symons, Sales Manager for Benelux, Metsä Board .
Baronie indicated that the product would be ideal for its sister company BIG, a producer of ice cream specialities including ice pralines, which were already being packaged in MetsäBoard Classic FBB, a fully coated folding boxboard with PE coating. The inner tray of the praline packaging requires a barrier board since it is in direct contact with the frozen product. In the past this has been solved by using a PE layer on the board but in order to reduce plastic, our recommendation was to use MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB.
To demonstrate to Baronie the benefits of switching to Prime FBB EB, Metsä Board produced a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) – a lightweighting analysis covering the whole value chain from forest until end-of life – though excluding transportation of the paperboard to the customer and converting process of the paperboard. “The numbers spoke for themselves,” Symons says. “The LCA showed that switching to the dispersion barrier board would reduce the cradle-to-gate including end-of-life carbon footprint of the packaging by an astonishing 32%.”
MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB reduced the weight of the tray by 0.2 grammes, which might not sound like a lot, but translates into 5% less paperboard per tray. In terms of carbon emissions, the LCA showed that replacing 100 tons of PE-coated paperboard with Prime FBB EB enables an annual emission reduction equivalent to 15 cars driving for 20,000 km.
