Elopak launches Natural White Board, cutting GHG emissions by up to 14%

NORWAY – Global packaging company Elopak has unveiled a new paperboard for fresh liquids distributed through chilled supply chains.

Dubbed Natural White Boar, the innovation offers up to 14% lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to standard board cartons, reinforcing Elopak’s sustainability commitment.

Developed in partnership with long-term collaborator Stora Enso, the new board is intended to be rolled out across Elopak’s Pure-Pak carton portfolio in all markets.

It maintains the same protective qualities and performance as Elopak’s standard white board, while significantly reducing carbon emissions.

The Natural White Board is manufactured using a specialized finishing process that creates a naturally smooth outer surface, eliminating the need for traditional clay coatings.

This process also enables the reduction of polyethylene (plastic) coating, contributing further to the carton’s improved carbon footprint.

“Drawing upon decades of innovation, the Pure-Pak carton remains iconic in fibre-based packaging,” said Uwe Schulze, Executive Vice President of Product and Development at Elopak.

“With the introduction of Natural White Board, customers can significantly lower their carbon footprint while enjoying the design flexibility and shelf appeal of traditional white paperboard.”

This innovation builds on the success of Elopak’s Natural Brown Board, first launched in 2017, which eliminated the use of clay coating and used unbleached paper fibres to reduce energy and chemical usage in production.

While the Brown Board features wholly unbleached fibres, the new White Board uses bleached fibres only on the top layer, achieving a clean white finish with reduced polyethylene content.

“Ever since the Natural Brown Board proved to be a hit, we’ve worked to offer brand owners more sustainable packaging options—including those who prefer a white carton finish,” said Michael Olsson, Technical Account Manager at Stora Enso.

“We’re proud to support this development with Elopak and provide businesses and consumers with even more environmentally conscious choices.”

Norwegian organic dairy producer Rørosmeieriet was the first company to trial the new board, incorporating it into its organic milk line.

The dairy, which also pioneered the use of Elopak’s Natural Brown Board, seamlessly integrated the new cartons into its existing Elopak filling machines.

“As an organic dairy, protecting nature is at the core of everything we do,” said Trond Vilhelm Lund, CEO of Rørosmeieriet.

“We’ve relied on Elopak cartons for over 40 years, and this latest innovation allows us to pass even greater sustainability benefits to our customers—including Coop Norway’s Änglamark brand.”

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