Fiberdom and Kiefel form partnership to accelerate fibre based packaging innovation

Fiberdom, a pioneer in wood fibre material innovation, is entering a strategic partnership with Kiefel, a leader in packaging machinery and moulding technology, to accelerate the development and commercialisation of fibre based, fully recyclable, and home compostable packaging. The collaboration combines Fiberdom's breakthrough Duranova material with Kiefel's advanced dry fibre forming technology to deliver high performance packaging solutions that can be manufactured cost effectively with streamlined, resource efficient processes.

Fiberdom’s patented technology transforms FSC certified pulp and paperboard into a durable, mouldable, and fully plastic free material, Duranova. Already commercially proven, the material is used in 100% plastic free, home compostable single use cutlery available through leading retailers and business to business wholesalers in Finland. The partnership builds on Fiberdom’s market entry with the single use cutlery and sets the stage for expanding Duranova’s application to new packaging formats and new markets.

The partnership will initially focus on solutions that are ideally suited to dry forming technology, requiring high material strength and formability in 3D structures, as well as low weight and material efficiency. For example, certified home compostable beverage cup lids, margarine container lids, and single use cutlery. Several market ready applications are already possible, with final testing and fine tuning currently underway in Kiefel's laboratories. Here, through research and development, the scope of the technology is also being explored to identify additional applications to replace non essential plastics with fibre based alternatives.

‘The partnership with Kiefel is a strong endorsement of our material technology and shows we’re ready to scale up with major partners taking on the critical sustainability challenges the packaging sector faces today,’ said Tomi Järvenpää, general manager of Fiberdom. ‘Lots of products on the market talk about compostability, but many are only industrially compostable. They also usually have additives that inhibit recyclability. Fiberdom’s Duranova is fully recyclable and home compostable. By adding our advanced materials to Kiefel’s manufacturing and moluding expertise, we are unlocking exciting potential for new fibre based packaging applications that are simultaneously highly formable and truly sustainable, while remaining competitive and cost effective.’

Packaging applications with complex shapes and high performance requirements are traditionally produced using a wet forming process to prevent cracks and wrinkles during forming. However, Kiefel's dry forming technology offers distinct advantages for certain types of packaging applications, providing an efficient solution for products with specific geometric requirements. By combining Duranova material with Kiefel's dry forming machinery and moulding expertise, the partnership can deliver eco friendly solutions that optimise resource efficiency for appropriate applications. For example, for certain product geometries, dry forming processes in conjunction with Fiberdom's superior formability and bending resistance can result in significant water use reductions, energy efficiency improvements, and enhanced material cost effectiveness.

The partnership sees Kiefel advance its offering in fibre based packaging applications. Kiefel has also filed several patents for process and tooling technologies that enable high quality product forming even with simple and cost efficient roll fed materials. This makes the technology even more economical while broadening the range of raw materials available for sustainable packaging solutions.

‘Together with Fiberdom, we are excited to expand our comprehensive technology portfolio by adding new capabilities that complement our existing solutions,’ said Sven Engelmann, vice president – technology at Kiefel. ‘This strategic partnership allows us to offer market ready dry forming solutions that support recyclability, compostability, and cost efficiency for applications where this technology excels, while maintaining our full spectrum of forming technologies to serve the complete range of packaging requirements without compromising performance.’

The collaboration addresses critical market demands as the packaging industry faces increasing pressure from evolving legislation, such as the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which mandates increased recyclability of materials and reductions in the amounts of conventional plastic packaging. At the same time, consumer demand for environmentally responsible packaging is continuing to rise. As a result, the fibre based packaging market is forecasted to expand from $406 billion in 2025 to $566 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 3.85% from 2025 to 2034.