HELSINKI – Producers of absorbent hygiene products are now trialling NaturaFluff Eco, a new fluff pulp grade from Stora Enso which enables them to offer consumers products that are natural, safe to use and have a low environmental footprint.

NaturaFluff Eco, which is made from wood from sustainably managed forests and is fully biodegradable, is an oxygen-delignified fluff pulp, which means that no bleaching chemicals are used in its production. As a result, the fluff pulp has a warm, natural beige colour and a roughly 30% lower carbon footprint in comparison to traditional fluff pulp, without compromising on product performance.

It can be used in hygiene applications, such as baby care, feminine care, and adult incontinence care products as well as airlaid materials such as napkins, table-tops and various pads

“By removing bleaching from the production process and only treating the pulp with oxygen to remove lignin, we have produced a fluff pulp with a significantly lower carbon footprint, while still providing the excellent performance properties of our regular fluff pulp,” saaid Kirsi Seppäläinen, senior vice-president of marketing, competitive intelligence and product management at Stora Enso’s Biomaterials division. “This new pulp grade fulfils all the requirements of a purely natural raw material. It is made from wood and comes. Its light beige hue clearly communicates the natural source of its origin.

Stora Enso produces its fluff pulp, including NaturaFluff Eco, at its Skutskär Mill in Sweden, where the first commercial volumes have recently been completed.

All Stora Enso’s NaturaFluff pulp grades fulfil the requirements of all common eco-labels such as the EU Eco label, Nordic Swan and Blue Angel, among others. Stora Enso’s fluff pulp is FSC and PEFC certified.