Pixelle Specialty Solutions (“Pixelle”), a leading manufacturer of specialty papers in North America, launched a new product portfolio of premium ballot papers tailored for local, state and federal elections across the United States. As the 2024 national and local elections draw near, Pixelle is positioned to support polling nationwide with a wide range of high-performance ballot papers that are made in the U.S.A. Pixelle’s ballot paper portfolio includes options for hand-marked ballots, machine-readable ballots compatible with major voting systems, and durable mail-in/absentee ballots. Basis weights range from 80 lb. to 100 lb. and include durable, uncoated heavyweight stocks that deliver excellent opacity and trouble-free printing on web offset, sheetfed, digital toner and inkjet presses. Additionally, Pixelle’s ballot papers offer consistent post-processing for folding, scoring and perforation.

Stora Enso continues to develop the Trayforma range further and introduces a new solution for conventionally heated food packaging applications, featuring less than 10% PET plastic. Trayforma is a wood fibre-based material for ready meals packaging, enabling brand owners and retailers to switch from fully fossil-based materials to renewables. The new Trayforma PET34 material continues to offer core properties such as food protection and heat resistance but has a significantly reduced amount of fossil-based barrier materials. When heating food in conventional oven, board materials need a PET coating to provide heat resistance and protect food. Meeting the threshold of 10% PET plastic will be an important step in producing trays made of Trayforma a better fit for fiber-based packaging recycling streams, and for achieving recyclable labelling in markets such as the UK. “We believe Trayforma products will have many future applications because they are low-carbon and help brand owners reduce their carbon footprint and use of fossil-materials, offering these benefits to consumers. Thanks to its renewable origin in wood fiber and its optimised barrier options, Trayforma range offers the right performance and several alternatives for the ready meals category, now also better fit for recycling,” says Tuomas Puonti, VP, Head of Business Line LPB Fresh & FSB from Stora Enso.

*Operating profit for January-June 2024 amounted to SEK 1 927 million (January-June 2023: 2 875). The decrease in operating profit is due to lower paper prices and the positive impact of income from the sale of surplus electricity the previous year. *Compared with the first quarter, operating profit for the second quarter increased by SEK 39 million to SEK 983 million. The operating margin was 17 per cent (17). *Profit after tax for January-June amounted to SEK 1 487 million (2 261), which corresponds to earnings per share of SEK 9.3 (14.0).