Designing Packaging with Foam Sucks.
This Finnish start-up is making paper based foam that's easily recyclable anywhere
Sustainable design isn’t a trend—it’s a performance-driven solution. With Woamy’s cellulose-based foam, the focus is on solving real business problems: replacing hard-to-recycle plastic while enhancing load-bearing capabilities, protection, and aesthetic flexibility.
Structure is storytelling. The foam's directional strength allows designers to tailor protection exactly where it’s needed. By layering soft and strong boards, brands can ensure not only safe shipping—but also visually compelling unboxing moments that align with high-end brand narratives.
Packaging should lead the customer, not follow the category. From custom embossing to naturally dyed colors, Woamy gives brands the freedom to extend their identity across touchpoints—guiding users from shelf to unboxing with a consistent, sustainable message
Every time you design packaging that ends up in a landfill because of poor deign, bad material choices, or worse the client’s budget, it’s not a design flaw, it’s a liability.
That’s why the team at Woamy developed a bio-based foam that’s over 90% air, yet strong enough to protect luxury goods. It mimics the strength of wood while staying soft where it needs to be, and it breaks down cleanly if it escapes the recycling stream. The kicker? It can even be embossed or colored to match your brand aesthetic.
One thing I loved about this material is the hand feel, super soft almost velvety to the touch and with enough structural integrity to protect small jewelry to massive electronics.
In this episode I (Evelio Mattos) get to dive into the real-world application of circular design: how to replace plastic without compromising performance, why density matters in foam-based packaging, and what it takes to scale a material innovation out of Finland.
Whether you’re an eco-warrior brand or just looking for a smarter way to ship, this conversation arms you with the knowledge to start rethinking what your packaging could be.
