In Finland, Stora Enso launched its wood-based biocomposites, DuraSense, as a replacement for fossil-based plastics. The DuraSense product family is suitable for a wide range of applications from consumer goods to industrial applications, such as furniture, hand tools, automotive parts, beauty and lifestyle products, toys, kitchen utensils and bottle caps, among other uses. The DuraSense granules are a combination of natural wood fibers, polymers and additives offering the mouldability of plastic with the sustainability and workability of wood.
The production of biocomposites began in 2018 at Stora Enso’s Hylte Mill in Sweden, following the EUR 12 million investment announced in 2017. At full production, the mill’s annual production capacity is 15 000 tonnes, which is the largest capacity in Europe dedicated to wood fibre composites.
“Reducing the amount of plastic and replacing it with renewable and traceable materials is a gradual process. With DuraSense, we can offer customers a wood fibre-based alternative which improves sustainability performance and, depending on the product, significantly reduces the carbon footprint – all the way up to 80%,” says Jari Suominen, Head of Wood Products at Stora Enso.