Metsä Board: Ultralight pizza box awarded in 2024 WorldStar packaging competition

An expert panel of international judges compared the entries to similar solutions from around the world and awarded the ones that were superior in their category and market and were better in execution or innovation, in comparison to others.

The awarded ultralight pizza box solution, made of MetsäBoard Natural WKL Bright, uses considerably less material than traditional solutions without compromising rigidity, function or print quality. The pizza box was about 38 per cent lighter and according to the life cycle analysis the pizza box’s carbon footprint was up to 50 per cent lower than those of traditional solutions made of recycled fibre. The environmental impact comparison was carried out on material and its production.

The ultralight packaging concept was created in co-operation with leading expert of packaging industry. Packaging manufacturer Adara Pakkaus produced the corrugated material and printing of the pizza box with Marvaco supplying the the flexo printing plates. The visual outlook was designed by Futupack. Researcher and expert on ECG Expanded Gamut printing, Dr Kai Lankinen, provided invaluable input on the graphic design, prepress, and flexographic printing requirements.

The World Packaging Organisation (WPO) has been organising the WorldStar awards since 1970 to recognise the best of the best in packaging innovations from across the globe. The objective is to bring forth advancements in packaging design and technology especially in responding to new challenges and global trends such as sustainability.

Only packaging solutions that have been previously awarded in a recognised national or regional competition are eligible to participate. Previous to the WorldStar recognition, Metsä Board’s pizza box concept was awarded a ScanStar in a competition organised by the Nordic packaging industry associations in late 2023.