The new product, which began production this year at Stora’s Hylte Mill in Sweden, uses renewable fibres as a substitute for plastic and is suitable for use in a huge range of items such as furniture, pallets, hand tools, automotive parts, beauty and lifestyle products, toys and items, such as kitchen utensils and bottle caps.

The mill’s annual capacity, which the company claims is the largest in Europe dedicated to wood fibre composites, is 15,000 tonnes.

“Reducing the amount of plastic and replacing it with renewable and traceable materials is a gradual process, said Stora Enso head of wood products Jari Suominen.

“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%.”

Additionally, the firm’s head of biocomposites, Patricia Oddshammar said: “Affordable sustainability and the environment are climbing upwards on consumer agendas. DuraSense can reduce the consumption of plastic materials by up to 60%, ensuring less microplastics end up in the environment.”

The granules used to make DuraSense are made up of natural wood fibres, polymers and additives and can be manufactured with recycled or bio-based polymers, further increasing the product’s environmental credentials.

Stora’s biocomposite material can be reused up to seven times, according to the company, or recycled along with other plastic materials or, alternatively, used for energy recovery at their end of life.