Future hygiene solutions
The use of fresh fibres with modern technology is the best hygiene solution for the future. There are clear benefits in making hygiene tissues from fresh fibres: paper production from fresh fibres requires less water & energy and generates less waste than recycled paper production. Pure fresh fibres are also a great fit for hygiene products as they secure optimal product safety. In 2021, Metsä Tissue had the carbon footprints of its own production sites calculated by external consultant Afry, and the results showed that fresh fibre rolls in Metsä Tissue’s mills had approximately 20% lower carbon footprint than recycled paper rolls.
Fresh fiber use as tissue raw material is part of sustainable bioeconomy. Every part of the tree is always used to most value-adding purpose: the biggest part of a full grown tree (60%) is used as logs, ending up in wood products, in for example construction or furniture end uses. Some 25% of the tree is used as pulpwood, which goes into manufacturing of pulp and other bioproducts. 15% of the tree is branches and top that can be used to produce renewable bioenergy. This way tissue production is part of the sustainable bioeconomy and efficient use of the renewable wood raw material.
Biodiversity in focus
In the Nordic forests, both the forest owners and the industry pay special attention to preserving biodiversity. This is done for instance by leaving retention trees and biodiversity stumps and by preserving standing and fallen decayed trees in the forests to provide living spaces for many different species, including fungi, insects and birds. Biodiversity is also protected by leaving buffer zones are left along waterways to prevent nutrient runoff into them. In addition, the most valuable forest sites are left as they are for conservation.
When using renewable and sustainable fresh fibres for producing tissues, we can act sustainably across the whole value chain, starting all the way from the forests and resulting in high-quality, pure and safe end products.
