FINLAND (News release) -- An innovative corrugated bin for face masks by Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, has been awarded a ScanStar in a Nordic packaging design competition organised by the Scandinavian Packaging Association. The mask bin, made of lightweight and durable corrugated board, helps to collect and dispose of used face masks easily and safely. Metsä Board developed the concept together with packaging design agency Futupack and corrugated board converter Capertum.

The competition jury commented: "A simple but clever solution for a new problem - mask littering. The bin is made from corrugated material, and is easy to assemble even without the instructions which have been printed on the bin itself. The lid makes the light packaging more rigid and, if you turn the lid, it closes the package when it is full. Good printing supports the product. The bin is also accessible to those who have disabilities."

"The Covid-19 pandemic has brought its own challenges to waste management and together with Futupack and Capertum we wanted to develop a solution to this. In our design, we paid special attention to the lightness of the material, its durability and the ease of use and consumer guidance," said Ilkka Harju, Packaging Services Director EMEA and APAC at Metsä Board.

MetsäBoard Pro WKL 160 g/m2 coated white kraftliner was used as the top liner of the mask bin. The Finnish corrugated board converter Capertum printed the E-flute corrugated board in silk screen. Thanks to fresh fibre board the waste bin is strong but light, which reduces the carbon footprint.