FINLAND (News release) -- Stora Enso has introduced the newest addition to its NaturaFluff pulp product portfolio, NaturaFluff Eco by Stora Enso. NaturaFluff Eco is a new fluff pulp grade with a lower carbon footprint, enabling producers of hygiene products - such as baby diapers, incontinence pads and feminine care - to offer consumers a new generation of environmentally friendly, absorbent hygiene products.

Consumers are increasingly looking for products that are natural, safe to use and have a low environmental footprint. NaturaFluff Eco 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.

NaturaFluff Eco is perfectly suited for use in demanding hygiene applications, such as baby care, feminine care, and adult incontinence care products, or in air-laid nonwoven 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," says Kirsi Seppäläinen, SVP Marketing, Competitive Intelligence and Product Management at Stora Enso's Biomaterials division.

"This new NaturaFluff pulp grade fulfils all the requirements of a purely natural raw material. It is made from wood and comes from sustainably managed forests. Its light beige hue clearly communicates the natural source of its origin, and as a raw material, it is fully biodegradable," Seppäläinen adds.

Stora Enso produces its fluff pulp, including NaturaFluff Eco, at its Skutskär Mill in Sweden, where the first commercial volumes have recently been completed. Producers of absorbent hygiene products are now trialling the new material for use on consumer markets.

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, which means that the final products come from responsibly managed forests.