Paper Technology International 2020 - Journal - Page 17

PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
Sustainability at Metsä Board
Nathan Pajka, Sustainability Specialist
INTRODUCTION:
Sustainability has become an increasingly prevalent “buzz word” today. Initiatives like reducing water use, mitigating carbon
emissions, and having more efficient operations are a must for the packing and packaging materials industry moving forward. Thus, the
concept of sustainability must also be applied to every step of the paper and paperboard industry, as well as the life cycle of its products.
Sustainably managed forests
First, wood fibre must be sourced from sustainably
managed forests that are certified according to globally well-known,
reputable forest certification standards, from forests that are always
regenerated after harvesting. In sustainably managed forests,
trees are replenished at a higher rate than they are used, which
also increases the amount of carbon these forests can sequester.
In Finland, the annual growth of forests is 108 million m3 and
harvesting of roundwood amounts to 73 million m3. Sustainable
forest management does not result in deforestation.
Forest certifications
Forest certifications are important to ascertain because
they represent proof of legal and sustainable use of forests. If a
forest is certified, that means sustainable practices are enforced,
biodiversity of forest habitats are safeguarded, water is protected,
workers’ welfare is considered, and the rights and needs of the
local population are also considered. The major international forest
certification schemes are PEFC™ (Programme for the Endorsement
of Forest Certification) and FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council)
Chain of Custody. Globally, only some 10% of forests are certified,
but in Finland, around 90% of forests are certified, which is the
highest share of certified forests in all of Europe.
Traceability
The forest certifications also ensure 100% traceability of the
wood back to its origins. This tracing process, or Chain of Custody
(CoC), enables accurate and verifiable claims on the content of
certified material in products. At Metsä Board, our wood supply is
managed by one of our associated companies, Metsä Forest, which
helps us easily verify the origins of our raw materials. Also, all of the
wood fibre we use comes from either our own pulp mills or from the
mills at Metsä Fibre, another one of our associated companies. We
set goals to continuously increase the share of certified fibre in our
products. We have already achieved 100% traceability for the wood
we use.
Raw material efficiency
Raw material and resource efficiency should be executed at
the highest level possible and continuously improved upon. Every
part of a tree should always be used for the most valuable end-use
possible to achieve circularity and avoid creating waste. The thickest
part of the tree should be used for the manufacture of wood products
used on building construction, for example. The thinner parts of tree
trunks and the younger trees harvested during thinning operations
can be used to generate pulp and paperboard products. Bark and
branches should be utilised in the production of bioenergy.
Figure 1: Sustainably managed forests.
At Metsä Group, our target is to have 100% of our waste and
side-streams reused – and today we are already at a level of 99.3%.
We have also employed the use of artificial intelligence at our mills
to improve production efficiency by reducing the amount of waste
generated and the consumption of energy and raw materials.
Water
Considering global water scarcity when water is used for
industrial processes is important. Fresh water is a key asset in
the paperboard packaging industry, as water is needed at every
stage of pulp, board, and paper production. At Metsä Board, we
recycle water in our paperboard mills 12 to 14 times on average,
and in our BCTMP mills as many as 30 times. When the used
water is finally returned to nature, it must be carefully purified first.
Figure 2: At all Metsä Board paperboard mills, water recycling
is of the utmost importance.
15

Paperturn flipbook