Eska’s materials can be found in every corner of the retail market; if you’ve ever played a board game, attempted a puzzle, or bought a hardcover book, you’ve come in contact with some grade of Eskaboard. And when it comes to premium boxes, Eska is a staple of paperboard packaging the world-over.
But what is Eskaboard, exactly? Where does it come from?
Eskaboard is a premier greyboard material from the Netherlands. One hundred-thirty odd years ago, back when it was still called “strawboard”, two Dutch mills opened their doors. Upon merging in 1993, the two mills became Eska. Since, Eska has gone on to produce over 250,000 metric tons of solid board annually and one of the most renowned manufacturers of greyboard.
Being made of recycled paper fibers, greyboard has a connotation of being low quality or downright inferior compared to other rigid paper materials. Eskaboard, however, is not your average greyboard.
Eskaboard is manufactured as a three-ply sheet with two grey liners sandwiching a layer of greyboard in between. A consistent caliper and unyielding lay-flat property have established it as a dependable material choice. Proper amounts of moisture within the board ensure defense against “feathering” and general decomposition. Not to mention the solid board is completely conducive to manufacturing; easily die-cut, scored, folded, or processed in just about any conceivable manner while retaining structural integrity. We use Eska in many different styles of packaging, but we love it most for perfectly flat, crisp edged folder panels.
Beyond their reliable and quality product, one thing about Eska stands out in the paperboard industry; they strive to be a completely waste-free company and put a major emphasis on sustainability. For starters, Eska only uses recycled paper to produce the various grades of Eskaboard manufactured in their facilities. Committed to being as low impact as possible, Eska is devising means to combine their waste and energy departments into a single sustainable loop.
Through gasification, the liquid waste created by manufacturing paper is treated to create pressurized steam. This process combines waste as an integral aspect of energy and eliminates the need for solid waste to be ferried by truck, thus reducing the consumption of petroleum and the emission of carbon gas.
Eska produces some of the most coveted industrial paper goods in the world and demonstrates that sustainability and manufacturing do not have to be in conflict. The sheer volume of products featuring Eskaboard is a testament to this.
The next time you grab a book, a box, or a board game- you might be lucky enough to be holding Eskaboard.; a product not only superior in quality, but lightyears ahead of the curve in its dedication to sustainability.
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