Flowers Wrapped in Wood

We are aiming to make bio-based materials a standard in our business. Last year, we started cooperation with a Finnish company Woodly Oy to present a carbon neutral and wood-based alternative to traditional fossil-based plastics.

Like with any new innovation or raw material, cooperation between the material supplier and packaging producer starts with trials and test runs to find optimal processes and material compositions. Our cooperation with Woodly was no exception, and it took a while before first commercial solutions were ready to be implemented in our AmerGreen solutions portfolio. In June 2020, we have launched flexible packaging for potted flowers made of Woodly, together with K Group, a Finnish retail chain.

“This is a start-up of the new area. Woodly films are now commercially available for reel solutions from Amerplast. Further developments are always needed but we are in the stage to commercialise new applications and items,” says Ari-Pekka Pietilä, Amerplast Chief Sales and Marketing Officer.

WOOD-BASED PACKAGING FOR POTTED FLOWERS

Beautiful flowers are delicate products that deserve to be seen through transparent and clear packaging. Woodly is a great solution, when looking for a more sustainable bio-based option, for example, for packaging traditionally made of fossil-based polypropylene.

“The expertise of Amerplast in new materials and film production has been one of the key factors in commercializing Woodly. I believe our collaboration will result in many more sustainable packaging solutions that we will bring to market in the near future,” says Jaakko Kaminen, CEO of Woodly.

“Sustainable consumption is a growing phenomenon. Reducing and recycling plastic speaks to our customers, and every day we are asked for help with this. We are constantly developing our own operations and innovating new circular economy experiments with our partners to ensure consumed plastic is placed back into circulation. Our cooperation with the Finnish company Woodly is an excellent example of this, ”says Timo Jäske, K-Group’s Director of Responsibility in the Grocery Trade.