How to improve the environmental footprint of tissue products?

Improving the environmental footprint of tissue products consists of several factors.

An important question is which ones are used in pulp production: recycled or fresh fibres? Based on our experience recycled paper requires a higher amount of energy, water, and chemicals in the paper making and deinking process, meaning that the ink and other impurities in recycled paper must be carefully removed so that it can be used in the production of hygienic high-quality tissue papers. According to the independent consultancy institute AFRY, fresh fibre tissue rolls at Metsä Tissue mills have approximately 20% lower carbon footprint than recycled based rolls.  

Metsä Tissue’s Vice President Innovation and head of Research and Development, Alexander Deutschle tells that choosing Nordic fresh fibres from sustainably managed forests, efficient use of wood, and modern technology are keys to improving the environmental footprint.

Modern bioproduct mills, such as Metsä Fibre’s Äänekoski bioproduct mill in Finland, are great examples of combining these factors. Metsä Tissue utilises Äänekoski mill’s pulp in its tissue paper production. Also Metsä Fibre is part of Metsä Group.

The origin of the pulp matters

In the spring, Metsä Group’s pulp production at Äänekoski mill received excellent results for its environmental footprint. Fraunhofer Institute examined the environmental footprint of Metsä Fibre’s Äänekoski bioproduct mill’s pulp production. The Institute compared it with average ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) mills in Europe, TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) pulp mills in Europe, and ECF mills in Latin America.

The study stated that Äänekoski bioproduct mill has significantly lower emissions and a low environmental footprint compared to the pulp production average values in Europe and Latin America. In Äänekoski bioproduct mill, the fossil CO₂-eq emissions per tonne are approximately 30 percent lower than in average European pulp mills with ECF production processes and 45 percent lower than the average TCF production.

“From the Fraunhofer study, we see that the newest technology and cascading use of wood, short transportation, as well as investments in tissue mills, have positive impacts on the fresh fibre end products,” Deutschle says.

Since 2015, Metsä Group has invested nearly 7 billion euros, for example, in the new Kemi bioproduct mill and modernising and expanding Mariestad tissue mill.

Efficient use of wood

According to Deutschle cascading wood use from sustainably managed Northern forests can also make a difference. Metsä Tissue’s production is part of the efficient use of wood. For the pulp production Metsä mainly uses sawmill residues and thinning wood. Full grown trees are therefore mainly converted in long-lasting carbon storage products such as construction material.

Metsä Group’s target is to utilise wood material as much as possible as carbon storage in construction wood or wood products. On average, 60 percent of a fully grown tree is logs that the company uses for sawn timber, plywood, and LVL products. 25 percent is pulpwood, which Metsä Group uses in new bioproduct and modern pulp mills for pulp and other bioproducts. 15 percent of the tree is branches, crowns, and bark, which are used to create renewable energy.