"Pack design is a fundamental part of creating a brand. It must express the essential nature of the product and give it a unique image", says Marcello Minale, one of the most well-known European names in packaging design. His London-based office carried out the first part of Stora Enso Paperboard's "Future Packaging Development Programme", a project which aims to seek new stimulating ideas for food packaging designs and brand makers of the future. The project utilised the versatile properties of Enso Performa board.

What do consumers want from the packaging of the future? Can a good design offer new, interesting solutions for the challenges of the future? What possibilities or limitations does pure, stiffer pulp board offer for good design. These questions, among others, were considered by Mr Minale's team of designers during the process of developing 14 different prototypes for packs of the future. A wide variety of ideas were generated: a sandwich pack that can be turned into a tray, a dog food bowl attached to a dog food pack, a microwave food pack with handles, a disposable carton bottle, etc. All the packs of the future were linked by the material used - Enso Performa - and Mr Minale's "philosophy of the three Rs".
"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - these are the most important criteria for packaging of the future," says Marcello Minale. "Reduce means that we must endeavour to lessen the amount of material used in packaging for economic as well ecological reasons. The reuse requirement means that we must increasingly design packages so that they can be used again for a different purpose. An example of this might be a board package for a teenager's camera that could be later used as a trinket box. The meaning of recycle is by now understood everywhere. Today's consumer demands that the product he or she buys is packaged in recyclable material," Mr Minale claims.
Stora Enso's Future Packaging project also aims at practical commercial applications. According to Sales Director Yrjö Aho, the prototypes developed have potential for a number of exciting packaging solutions. "We intend to develop the projects further with interested customers," Mr Aho promises. "This is what major food industry manufacturers and brand marketers are looking for: new ideas for new packaging solutions. We want to be a major player in development in the field."
The contribution of the first part of the Future Packaging project has been documented into a 60-page book and a multimedia CD programme. In addition, prototypes of the packs will be exhibited at Stora Enso's Imatra mills.
The second part of the project will be started in spring 1999. Besides focusing on the possibilities of design, it will also concentrate on future challenges posed by the latest printing technology and logistics.

Caption:
Future Packaging project utilised Enso Performa board. The project initiated by Stora Enso Paperboards produced 14 different prototypes in its first phase.

Further information:
Stora Enso UK
Mr Roy Bray
Enso House, New Mill Road
GB-Orpington, Kent BR5 3TW
Tel: +44 1689 836 911
Fax: +44 1689 829 732

Stora Enso Poland
Mr Henrik Stjernvall
Ul. Ostrobrarnska 75c
PL-04-175 WARSZAWA
Tel: +48 22 611 3610
Fax: +48 22 611 3650

Stora Enso Singapore Pte Ltd
M.D. Tom Alftan
360 Orchard Road
#11-01 International Building
SG-Singapore 238869
Tel: +65 235 3485
Fax: +65 737 4278

Stora Enso (HK)
Mr Donny Chan
Rm. 1406, 14th Floor
3605-6 World Trade Centre
280 Gloucester Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong S.A.R.
Tel: +852 2895 2063
Fax: +852 2576 1480

Stora Enso Australia Pty Ltd.
Mr John Walker
Suite 5, 102 Alfred Street
Milsons Point, NSW 2061
Tel: +61 2 9957 3177
Fax: +61 2 9957 1505


Stora Enso Australia Pty Ltd.
Mr Graham Johnson
554 Burwood Road
Hawthorn, Vic. 3122
Tel: +61 3 9819 4911
Fax: +61 3 9819 4250

Stora Enso Australia Pty Ltd.
Melbourne Branch Office
Mr Peter Peters
Level 1
492 St5 Kilda Road
Melbourne 3000
Tel: +61 3 9820 5611
Fax: +61 3 9820 9244

Stora Enso (Middle East)
M.D. Pentti Raivio
R/A 8 - HB1
Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai
Mail: P.O.B. 61265
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 4 836 819
Fax: +971 4 836 826

Stora Enso North America Corp.
Mr Per Hellman
Two Landmark Square, 3rd Floor
Stamford, CT 06901-2792
U.S.A.
Tel: +1 203 356 2300
Fax: +1 203 356 2340

Stora Enso Southern Africa
Mr Vesa Pärssinen
P O Box 12900
N1 City
7463 CAPE TOWN - South Africa
Tel: +27 21 595 0942
Fax: +27 21 595 1688

Stora Enso Paperboards
Yrjö Aho
FIN-55800 Imatra
Tel: +358 2046 121
Fax: +358 2046 24767
E-mail: yrjo.aho@storaenso.com

Press release images