For example, the Swedish company claims that Invercote Duo, which is stiffer than other competing products, is ideal for premium-sector products such as whiskey. The laminate board features an equal-sided triple coating on both the printing side and the reverse.
"The combination of stiffness and excellent printing properties is in high demand in the luxury goods industry," said Guy Mallinson, business director of packaging at Iggesund Paperboard. "It's fairly common to have heavy glass bottles that require good protection, but at the same time cannot make the slightest compromise in printing quality."
Iggesund is therefore targeting the product at manufacturers looking to achieve product differentiation through value-added packaging. "We've seen some incredibly beautiful boxes where the designers and converters have really used the paperboard to its best advantage," said Mallinson.
But perhaps another reason why paperboard manufacturers such as Iggesund are targeting the premium food and beverage sector is the threat posed by plastic containers in the freight and transportation sector. Returnable plastic containers (RPCs) have begun to eat into areas that were once the exclusive territory of box makers, steadily chipping away at market share.
One cause of this has been the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, which obliges Member States to optimise their logistics systems and increase recycling capacity.
This current forage into the premium sector can therefore be seen, to some extent, as an attempt to diversify paperboard's packaging appeal.
In any case, Invercote Duo comes in a variety of weights, from 370 to 770 g/m3. The latter represents a thickness, stiffness and grammage greater than Iggesund Paperboard can produce on its board machines. The lamination, which is done at the company's own finishing unit, has attracted the attention of wine and spirits manufacturers looking to achieve presentation boxes that truly stand out.
Iggesund has also launched a second product with similar qualities - Incada Duo - which is also a laminate but is made of the folding box board Incada.
"The choice between them is governed by the purpose and functions required," said Mallinson. "From our point of view it's important to have as broad a product programme as possible in the highest quality paperboard segment."
The company also manufacturers a plastic-coated paperboard, most often used as a barrier in various food applications. But Iggesund, which has recognised the importance of quality packaging in today's marketplace, has begun to market this product as a potentially valuable tool for adding value.
For example, the firm has launched MetalPrint, a paperboard coated with a metallised PET film to create silver effects.
"MetalPrint has slowly but surely begun to take market share in the luxury goods segment," said Mallinson. "It not only provides unique silver effects, but it is also a very interesting base paperboard which gives lustre and brilliance to the inks printed on it. Entire lines are now packaged in MetalPrint."