Rethinking materials for new possibilities
Material choices are evolving. Across industries, there is growing interest in materials based on renewable raw materials and approaches that support material recovery and recycling. Stora Enso contributes to this transition through paper-based packaging, biomaterials and wood-based solutions.
The materials behind everyday life are changing
For decades, the materials that shaped modern life have come from the same place – fossil resources.
They made it possible to scale industries, protect products, and build global systems. But they also came with a cost: finite resources, rising emissions, and growing pressure on the planet.
Today, that foundation is shifting.
At Stora Enso, we are part of that shift, replacing fossil-based materials with renewable paper-based materials and circular design principles. It is not about changing one material for another. It is about using the right material where it matters and rethinking how materials are sourced, used, and reused.
We need materials that work with the world, not against it. For this, we offer material expertise:
- Stora Enso combines expertise in wood-based materials, packaging and biomaterials to help expand the use of materials based on renewable raw materials
- More than 90% of our raw material inputs are biological, primarily wood fiber
- Our solutions are designed for high performance and circularity across packaging, biomaterials, and construction
- 94% of products are technically recyclable, although actual recycling depends on local collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure
- Target: 90% material circularity in Stora Enso's own operations by 2030, compared with 79% in 2025. Material circularity measures the share of circular material inflows and outflows within Stora Enso's direct operational control.
- Renewable materials are key to reducing reliance on finite resources
Moving beyond fossil-based materials
Fossil-based materials have shaped the world we know. They’ve made products strong, scalable, and reliable but they were built for an extractive system, where the resources are eventually exhausted.
Now, that story is changing.
Materials based on renewable raw materials offer an alternative approach. Like other materials, they can be designed for recycling and recovery, depending on product design and available systems. One distinguishing feature is that they are sourced from raw materials that can be replenished over time.
This is the shift, from extractive to renewable.
And it only works if performance comes first.
Packaging still needs to protect food. Materials still need to withstand transport, meet regulations, and perform at scale.
But changing materials isn’t enough. The whole system needs to evolve. From linear to circular.
From how raw materials are sourced to how products are designed, to how they are collected and recycled. Every step is connected. Circularity only works when everything works together.
And that’s exactly where the world is heading.
Demand is growing. Expectations are rising. Industries are rethinking what materials they use, where, and why.
Because today, value isn’t just about performance or cost.
It’s about where a material comes from, how long it stays in use, and what happens next.
That's where renewable materials can play an important role.
