The Swedish pulp and paper industry is world-leading in sustainable, innovative and high-quality virgin fiber products. The sector is a pillar of the Swedish economy and a crucial component of the country’s climate strategy, storing carbon in products and substituting for fossil-based materials like plastics and cement to provide an estimated 93 million tonnes of CO₂e in climate benefits per year.
What sets Swedish manufacturers apart is their ability to extract maximum value from every part of the tree. Modern Swedish mills are highly integrated, producing pulp and paper, but also renewable bioenergy, district heating and raw materials for biofuel. Here are the five strongest players in this sector, offering everything from premium paperboard for luxury packaging to lightweight magazine papers and specialized pulps for hygiene products.
Top Pulp and Paper Manufacturers in Sweden
- SCA (Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget)
- Stora Enso
- Billerud
- Holmen Board and Paper
- Metsä Board
A Closer Look at the Top 5 Swedish Pulp and Paper Manufacturers
1. SCA (Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget)
SCA is Europe’s largest private forest owner and one of the most important companies in the Swedish forest industry. The company produces pulp from parts of trees that are unsuitable for wood, for example, tree crowns and smaller trees, from environmentally certified forests. SCA is a vertically integrated powerhouse in the Nordic forest industry. We own our own forest holdings, production facilities and logistics network as part of the integrated value chain.
Key Products
- Market pulp (Pure Pulp®): SCA’s pulp is produced from renewable wood and is used in a wide variety of everyday products, including household paper, toilet tissue, printing paper for books and newspapers and specialty papers such as filters and insulation materials.
- Packaging Materials SCA’s pulp is increasingly used as a substitute for fossil-based plastics, for example, in takeaway coffee cups and molded trays for fast food—an area of rapid growth for the company.
- Tissue Paper: SCA uses a large part of its pulp production in the tissue and hygiene product market.
- Wood Products and Bioenergy: The company also produces solid-wood products and generates substantial amounts of green energy as byproducts of its pulping processes, including tall oil for biodiesel and district heating.
Achievements
- Largest private forest owner in Europe, with significant impact on the supply of raw materials and sustainability.
- Supports Sweden’s climate policy by demonstrating that forest products can substitute fossil-based alternatives in several industries.
Contact Information
Website: https://www.sca.com
2. Stora Enso
Stora Enso is a global company, committed to renewable materials. It has deep Swedish roots and a large production footprint in the Nordic region. The company is a global leader in packaging materials, especially after its €1.1 billion investment in a consumer packaging board production line in Oulu (Finland), which is a part of a wider €1.7 billion investment in the site between 2019 and 2025. The new production line will cut CO₂ emissions by 90% relative to earlier operations and will reach a capacity of 750,000 tonnes by 2027.
Key Products
- Folding Boxboard (FBB): A premium, multi-layer paperboard used for high-end packaging applications, including confectionery, cosmetics, frozen food and dry food packaging. Stora Enso’s folding boxboard can be up to a third lighter than traditional boards, helping customers reduce material consumption and transport emissions.
- Kraftliner (AvantForte): A strong and durable containerboard for corrugated packaging produced with the company’s patented FiberLight Tec fiber processing technology.
- Food Service Paperboard: Materials intended for direct contact with food, including packaging for beverages (multipacks), frozen food and ambient food products.
- Unbleached Softwood Pulp (Supreme): A chemical pulp used as a raw material in the manufacture of paper and board.
Achievements
- €1.7 billion investment in Oulu mill, 2019–2025, creating a near carbon-neutral production site.
- Light but strong boards for high-value packaging applications, thanks to patented FiberLight Tec technology.
- New Oulu line to generate €800 million in annual sales at full capacity.
Contact Information
Website: https://www.storaenso.com
3. Billerud
For more than 150 years, Billerud has been at the forefront within high-performance paper and packaging materials. Our products are made from virgin fiber from responsibly managed forests, are renewable and recyclable and reach customers in more than 100 countries. Billerud has five mills in Sweden (Gruvön, Gävle, Frövi, Skärblacka and Karlsborg) and one mill in Finland (Jakobstad), with an annual production capacity of approximately 3.1 million tonnes.
Key Products
- Liquid Packaging Board: High-performance paperboard for gable-top and aseptic cartons for milk, juice and other beverage packaging.
- Kraft Paper: Strong, durable paper for industrial sacks, carrier bags and wrapping applications.
- Containerboard: kraftliner and fluting for corrugated board packaging such as e-commerce boxes and transport packaging.
- Cartonboard: Premium paperboard for confectionery, cosmetic and pharmaceutical packaging
- Specialty Paper: Pressure-sensitive label papers and release liners, used as the backing for laminates and hygiene products.
Achievements
- SEK 11,783 million, net sales SEK 2,307 million, EBITDA (2025).
- Net sales were 63% in Europe and 29% in North America.
- European mills produce about 3.1 million tonnes of paper and board annually.
Contact Information
Website: https://www.billerud.com
4. Holmen Board and Paper
Holmen is a Swedish forestry and paper products company with four paper and paperboard mills in Sweden and the UK, each with its own particularity. The company is renowned for producing lightweight, resource-efficient papers with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry. Holmen Aspect is a very white, wood-containing magazine paper to be launched in January 2026. It is to set new standards in photographic reproduction while maintaining a low carbon profile.
Key Products
- Magazine Paper (Holmen Aspect) Very white, wood-containing paper with excellent opacity, capable of reproducing high-dynamic-range photographic content with stunning clarity and sharp contrast. The paper has a smooth matte surface for a glare-free reading experience.
- Book and Office Paper: High-quality uncoated papers for books, direct mail and office printing produced at Braviken and Hallsta mills.
- Containerboard Paper (LWU): Lightweight uncoated (LWU) paper for packaging.
- Invercote (Premium Paperboard) Multi-layer paperboard from bleached chemical pulp (SBB) at Iggesund Mill. For premium packaging that requires a premium print surface and structural rigidity.
- Incada (Folding Boxboard): A multi-layered folding boxboard produced at Workington Mill in the UK, combining mechanical pulp (for bulk and stiffness) with chemical pulp (for strength and surface quality).
Achievements
- Launched Holmen Aspect in January 2026, a new generation magazine paper with improved whiteness and outstanding print quality.
- Iggesund Mill, founded in 1685, is one of the most modern integrated pulp and paperboard mills in the world.
- Holmen’s mills are known for resource-efficient production and flexible transport options by road, rail and their own harbors.
Contact Information
Website: https://www.holmen.com
5. Metsä Board
Metsä Board is a major producer of lightweight and high-quality folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners. The company is part of the Metsä Group. The company operates the Husum mill in Sweden, which is an integrated board and pulp mill producing folding boxboard, unbleached white kraftliner and bleached chemical pulp. Metsä Board aims to have fossil-free mills and raw materials by the end of 2030. The Husum mill is running a development program for new food-service packaging papers and siliconized greaseproof papers.
Key Products
- Folding Boxboard (FBB): Lightweight, high-quality paperboard for packaging applications where print quality and structural performance are required.
- Food Service Board. Paperboard especially designed for food packaging applications such as takeaway containers and food trays.
- White Kraftliner. Bleached, strong linerboard for premium quality corrugated boxes with a clean, printable white surface.
- Food-Service Packaging Papers (Planned Production) Metsä Board is assessing a pre-engineering project to convert Husum BM2 production to around 80,000 tons of food-service packaging papers and siliconized greaseproof papers.
Achievements
- Sales of around EUR 1.9 billion in 2023 with around 2,300 employees .
- Our goal is fossil-free mills and raw materials by 2030.
- Husum mill’s BM2 pre-engineering project could deliver new capacity for food-service packaging papers by the end of 2027.
Contact Information
Website: https://www.metsagroup.com/metsaboard
FAQ
Which Swedish pulp and paper manufacturer is the largest private forest owner?
SCA is Europe’s largest private forest owner, giving the company significant control over its raw material supply and ensuring that its pulp production comes from sustainably managed, environmentally certified forests .
What is the difference between folding boxboard (FBB) and kraftliner?
Folding boxboard (FBB) is a multi-layer paperboard used for premium packaging such as confectionery boxes, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. It usually has a top layer of chemical pulp for print quality, a middle layer of mechanical pulp for bulk and stiffness and a back layer of chemical pulp for strength. Kraftliner is a strong, durable containerboard used for corrugated packaging, the outer plies of shipping boxes. Stora Enso and Metsä Board are big players in folding boxboard, while Billerud is specialized in kraftliner and containerboard .
What is Holmen Aspect?
Holmen Aspect is a new magazine paper that will be launched in January 2026. It is extremely white for a wood-containing paper, allowing high dynamic-range photographic content to be reproduced with crisp contrasts and vivid detail. The paper is also smooth and matte for glare-free reading and has excellent opacity for no show-through.
How is the Swedish pulp and paper industry contributing to climate change mitigation?
The climate benefit of the Swedish forest industry is estimated to amount to 93 million tonnes of CO₂e annually. This occurs in two principal ways: (1) storing carbon in wood-based products for their lifetime and (2) substituting fossil-based materials such as plastic packaging and cement in construction with renewable, low-carbon alternatives. Modern mills also produce large quantities of bioenergy, district heating and raw materials for biodiesel as byproducts of pulp production.
What is the Oulu mill investment by Stora Enso?
Stora Enso invested €1.1 billion in a new consumer packaging board production line at its Oulu mill in Finland (as part of a total €1.7 billion investment in the site). The new line will reduce CO₂ emissions by 90% compared to previous operations and will have a capacity of 750,000 tonnes by 2027. The mill produces folding boxboard for food, beverage and pharmaceutical packaging; kraftliner; and unbleached softwood pulp.
Which Swedish mills produce paperboard for liquid packaging?
Liquid packaging board: Billerud’s European mills make liquid packaging board for gable-top and aseptic cartons for milk, juice and other beverages. Holmen’s Invercote and Incada are used for food packaging and are not classified as liquid packaging board specifically.
What types of pulp do Swedish manufacturers produce?
Swedish mills produce several pulp grades: Bleached softwood kraft pulp (SCA, Stora Enso, Metsä Board), unbleached kraft pulp (Rottneros), mechanical pulp (CTMP) and groundwood pulp (Rottneros). These pulp grades are used for different applications—chemical pulp for strength and print quality, mechanical pulp for bulk and opacity.
Is Metsä Board Swedish or Finnish?
Metsä Board is a Finnish company (headquarters in Espoo, Finland) but has a major integrated board and pulp mill in Husum, Sweden, producing folding boxboard, white kraftliner and bleached chemical pulp. The company is part of Metsä Group, owned by over 90,000 Finnish forest owners.
What is the difference between virgin fibre and recycled fibre?
Virgin fibre is made directly from wood collected from forests. Recycled fibre is made from recovered paper products which have been re-pulped. Swedish producers such as SCA, Stora Enso, Billerud and Holmen generally use virgin fibre from forests that are managed sustainably resulting in higher strength and purity for high quality paper and board products. Virgin fibre is required for applications that involve direct contact with food (for example, food packaging) and for products where strength, hygiene or longevity are important.
Which manufacturer produces the lightest magazine paper?
Holmen is a leader in lightweight graphical papers and the new Holmen Aspect magazine paper offers great thickness and quality at low grammage weights. Holmen’s manufacturing process retains the natural strength of fresh fibres, enabling papers to be produced that reach the quality levels normally achieved with higher-grammage options.
