METSÄ BOARD STAKEHOLDER MAGAZINE WINTER ISSUE 2015–2016
What better way to combat stress and anxiety than to sit down with a few brightly-coloured pencils and simply fill in the gaps? Pure ambient entertainment, as peaceful as the forest itself. Just get out your colouring pencils and relax, and don’t forget to share your finished efforts on Instagram with the #ColourMeMetsa hashtag. WHAT WE ARE MADE OF | Cover: Carta Integra 190 g/m2 (10.2 pt), made in Äänekoski, Finland by proud Metsä Board employees. Cover effects: Matt-laminated glossy-spot UV varnish. Cover illustrations drawn by Sami Viljanto in his wooden summerhouse deep in the Finnish forest. Colouring by Hanna Kinnunen with pencils by Caran d’Ache of Switzerland.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
26 LIVING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE HAS BEEN THE DREAM OF HUMANS FOR CENTURIES.
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Editorial – The benefits of wood
6
Bites
9
The US perspective
10
The best from the north
16
A partnership measured in decades
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The world’s first next-generation bioproduct mill
20
#foodserviceboard
23
The shape of the new
26
The lungs of the city
30
Certification promotes sustainable forestry
32
Excellent scores in the CDP
33
Success on display
36
Towards a flourishing dialogue
37
The world in wood
20+ 23 WITH THE COMPLETION OF A NEW FOLDING BOXBOARD MACHINE, A NEW ERA BEGINS AT HUSUM MILL.
37 WOOD AND WATER ARE BECOMING SCARCE IN CERTAIN AREAS, BUT FINLAND HAS PLENTY OF BOTH.
METSÄ BOARD MAGAZINE | Winter Issue 2015–2016 | magazine@metsagroup.com | ISSN 2323-5500 | Publisher Metsä Board Communications, P.O. Box 20, FI-02020 METSÄ, Finland | www.metsaboard.com | Editor-in-chief Katri Kauppila, vice president, communications | Managing editor Tytti Hämäläinen | Editorial board Tytti Hämäläinen, Minna Kantsila, Katri Kauppila and Ritva Mönkäre | Production and graphic design Miltton Oyj | Print Erweko Oy | The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Metsä Board.
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EDITORIAL
Mika Joukio CEO, Metsä Board
M
ore and more companies are now interested in the renewability of wood and the benefits of fresh forest fibre – from small startsups to global companies. This is nothing new to us at Metsä Board, as we have relied on northern wood as our basic raw material for decades. We know the opportunities that wood provides today and see it is an unending source of new benefits and possibilities for our customers. In line with our strategy, we are focusing on folding boxboards and linerboards based on fresh forest fibre. They are suitable, above all, for consumer, retail-ready and food service packaging. In this issue, we will tell you more about our Carta Dedica product THE NEW FOLDING family, developed especially for the food service BOXBOARD packaging industry. We have carefully designed the MACHINE IN HUSUM different board grades for a range of applications such as cups, plates and trays. Several manufacturers HAS STARTED! of these products have tested these boards, and the feedback has been very good. Demand for our paperboards has seen steady growth, and it goes without saying that we wish to cater to this increased demand by offering high-quality products to our customers. In the period from mid-October until January, Metsä Board installed a new folding board machine at the Husum mill in Sweden. We are primarily marketing this board volume to Americas as well as to food service packaging globally. The linerboards currently made at Husum have also been well received by the customers. On the heels of population growth and urbanisation, it is increasingly important for companies to be able to develop ecological solutions. CDP, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, provides valuable environmental information about different companies to the market and investors. We have seen encouraging results from CDP. This year, we are delighted to announce that our CDP performance has improved even further. In the Water programme, we are now the only European company, and the sole forest industry company, to be included on the A List of just eight global companies. In the Climate Change programme, we once again stepped up our reporting performance, reaching a full score of 100/100. In the future, Metsä Board will seek to further enhance its efficiency in the use of wood, water and energy. This will enable us to best help our customers launch products that place a lower burden on the environment. And consumers can, in good conscience, choose products packaged using our boards. A warm thank you to all our customers for your continued support and strong collaboration.
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Category: The Sustainability Carton producer: AR Carton Oy Brand Owner: Fazer Mill & Mixes
FOUR WINNERS IN THE
FOUR CARTONS using boards from Metsä Board have won
awards in the 2015 Pro Carton ECMA Awards, including the top honour of the Sustainability Award, in a year when the focus was on the unique sustainability of cartonboard. Metsä Board’s products were also used by winners in three categories: Beauty & Cosmetics; Beverages; and Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals. The annual Pro Carton ECMA Award competition attracts hundreds of entries, with the jury looking for excellence in design, convenience, brand communication and the major role cartonboard plays as a sustainable packaging material. THE SUSTAINABILITY AWARD was presented to Fazer Alku New Mill Products for its cereal box, described as offering a decisive advance in terms of sustainability. The judges praised the design and convenience as well as the high cartonboard ratio that makes the pack ideal for recycling. The carton uses Simcote from Metsä Board. The winner of THE BEAUTY & COSMETICS CATEGORY was the Müller Soft Star Tissue Duchesse pack, which uses Metsä Board’s Carta Solida in a round cylinder shape. The judges felt it was highly original in shape and construction, with tremendous impact on the shelf. They were also
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impressed by its tactile soft feel, embossing and textures that gave the pack desirability. In the HEALTHCARE & PHARMACEUTICALS CATEGORY, the winner was the Multipack for Clinical Trials produced for Hoffman La Roche, using Carta Elega from Metsä Board. The judges were impressed by how different bottle shapes and sizes were securely held in place, without the need for foam or other cushioning materials, just clever cartonboard engineering. The effect on sustainability was also considerable, as there is less waste, reduced shipping costs and 100 per cent recycling by using cartonboard as a mono-material. The winner of the BEVERAGES AWARD was the YO Syrup Carton Sleeve produced for Eckes-Granini, an eye-catching wrap-around design printed on Carta Solida from Metsä Board. It was felt that the protruding ribbon added a playful touch and acted like a signal never seen before on a shelf of syrup products. The judges commented that it was perfect for the kids target market and a very well thought through example of structure and graphic design. Metsä Board extends our congratulations to everyone who participated in the vision, design, and production of the winning cartons!
METSÄ BOARD RECOGNISED FOR
Category: the Beauty & Cosmetics Carton Producer: Mayr-Melnhof Packaging, C.P. Schmidt Brand Owner: Müller Großhandels Ltd. & Co. KG
HIGH-LEVEL PERFORMANCE AND TRANSPARENCY BY WWF METSÄ BOARD AND ITS ASSOCIATED COMPANIES Metsä Fibre and Metsä Tissue were all recognised by WWF’s Environmental Paper Company Index (EPCI). According to the index, all the companies scoring improved in comparison to the 2013 index. For Metsä Board the highlight was the decreased greenhouse gas emissions from its mills. Metsä Group has taken part in the EPCI since 2011. The index is one of WWF´s key tools to promote supply chain transparency and continual improvement in the sector.
METSÄ BOARD’S FINNISH MILLS Catergory: Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Carton Producer: Rondo Brand Owner: Hoffmann La Roche
AUDITED ACCORDING TO SMETA ALL METSÄ BOARD’S FINNISH MILLS were audited during the
autumn of 2015 according to Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA). The main goal of the audits was to find out how Metsä Board cares for the working conditions and rights of its personnel. As one of the most commonly used ethical audit methodologies in the world, SMETA plays an important role in the effort to ensure responsible sourcing and transparency in supply chains. SMETA audits focus on labour standards, health & safety in the workplace, and optionally also on environmental aspects and ethical business practices. SMETA methodology is recognised by an ever increasing number of companies and the audit results can be shared on the Sedex Database.
Category: Beverages Carton Producer: Mayr-Melnhof Packaging Austria Brand Owner: Eckes-Granini
QUESTIONS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY? Please direct all your sustainability-related questions to sustainability.metsaboard@metsagroup.com – here you can reach all of Metsä Board’s sustainability experts. The questions can be about, for example, product safety, the origin of wood or CDP.
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LINERBOARDS FOR
LITHOLAMINATION IT’S POSSIBLE to meet the most demanding packaging needs quickly, cost-efficiently and responsibly. All Metsä Board’s liners for litholamination offer great printability, strength and durability. CARTA SOLIDA is a fully coated bleached paperboard with a
white back. It offers premium printability with superior colour density on the top side. The board has superlative brightness and outstanding odour and taint neutrality.
MODO NORTHERN LIGHT LITHO is a fully bleached dou-
ble-coated white liner. Its high whiteness provides a clean look and superb contrast for printing, and offers outstanding printability and gloss. Additionally, its excellent sheet flatness ensures easy converting.
CARTA SELECTA is a double-coated speciality liner. Its smooth
surface results in first-class colour density and contrast as well as excellent UV gloss. It provides excellent litholamination runnability and great folding endurance.
MODO NORTHERN LIGHT is a fully bleached uncoated white linerboard. Its high whiteness creates exceptional contrast and its uncoated surface gives an attractive matt look and tactile feel. It has good strength characteristics in both elasticity and compressibility, and is less prone to washboarding. It can also be used as fluting.
is a double-coated white top kraftliner. It has excellent strength, which provides opportunities for lightweighting. It enables the printing of detailed half-tone pictures and colours with superb gloss and colour density.
KEMIART GRAPH+
E, STRONG, DURABL AND GOOD LOOKING
ESTIMATE YOUR REQUIREMENTS! HAVE YOU ALREADY checked out the Metsä Board Calculators mobile application? The calculators, available for Android, IOS, Blackberry and Lumia mobile phones, is a set of free of charge applications. The package includes: PALLET WEIGHT CALCULATOR: Use this to calculate the weight of board on a pallet
REEL CALCULATOR:
For calculating reel dimensions, like the amount of board on a reel or the weight of a reel. • Reel length calculator from dimensions • Reel weight calculator after diameter reduction • Reel weight calculator from dimensions YIELD CALCULATOR:
PRICE CALCULATOR:
For calculating the price of a needed amount of board sheets.
Use this for calculating the yield difference between two board grammages. This application works only on mobile phones but they are also accessible at www.metsaboard.com
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NEW WWW FOR METSÄ BOARD It’s time for the new www.metsaboard.com. The previous renewal was done in 2012 when we launched the new group identity – it was time for an update! The new pages are responsive and thus work with all devices: laptop, tablet or mobile. A lot of effort has been given to the visual look which is a must nowadays. Another big emphasis was given to usability and easy navigation. The old goodies are naturally still there: IR pages, blogs, news, articles, and publications to name but a few. We hope you like them!
Nina Happonen Vice president of sales, Metsä Board Americas
1 .WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOOD SERVICE SECTOR IN THE USA? The packaged food and beverages market is quite large, and continues to grow in the US. Consumer demand for safe, healthy, environmentally responsible packaging is increasing. Trends come and go, and consumers are continually changing the way they view, interact with and utilise packaging further. It’s important to keep up with packaging market trends and reflect the changing needs of the consumer in your products. Companies that stay on top of these changing trends have a competitive advantage.
2. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU SEE IN THE US MARKET? Consumers are becoming increasingly more aware of global environmental issues and are changing their buying habits accordingly. Understandably, consumers don’t want to pay any more than they have to for their packaged goods, which is why cost is and will be one of the key packaging market trends. There is also more demand now for transparency between manufacturers and consumers as a result of recent food misuses in the industry. The origins of products need to be traceable back to their source to re-establish trust throughout the supply chain. Understanding how commitment to sustainability can be communicated in an engaging way on the packaging is the key to attracting, relating to, and keeping consumers. It seems that sustainability is no longer an optional add-on. It’s an essential part of business planning for those in the packaging industry.
3. DO YOU FEEL EATING IS BECOMING MORE HECTIC AND ON-THE-GO? Increasingly busy lifestyles mean that consumers are seeking ease of use. Smaller, lighter and easily disposable packaging makes consumption on-the-go more efficient. There’s a growing tendency for consumers to make purchases when they are running out of a specific product, as opposed to taking an in advance, ‘pantry-loading’ approach, which has been the norm in the past. Smaller and easy-to-carry packaging therefore holds the greatest potential for these money-conscious, last minute shoppers. Demand for food service disposables in the US is projected to increase 3.9 per cent per year to USD 21.9 billion (EUR 24.7 billion) in 2019. Packaging products, including clamshells, paperboard cartons and other containers, are expected to register the fastest growth among the major product types. Meanwhile, growth in the quick service restaurant (QSR) segment – the largest single outlet for disposables – will be restrained by the shift in consumer preference away from traditional fast food.
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THE BEST FROM THE NORTH Renewable northern wood is the main raw material for Metsä Board’s products. The high quality of softwood in Finland has its roots in the oldest forest legislation in the world: the Forest Act requires forests to be managed sustainably and treated with respect. TIMO NYKÄNEN
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SAMI KARPPINEN, WWF, HANNA KINNUNEN
A SUSTAINABILITY JOURNEY
et’s start with the facts: of the wood purchased by Metsä Board, 75 per cent comes from Finnish and Swedish commercial forests. Forestry land covers around 86 per cent of Finland, the country where Metsä Board purchases most of the wood it uses. As a result of good forest management, Finnish forests provide more wood than ever before, and sustainable management will ensure wood supply for future generations, as well. According to an inventory of Finnish forests completed in spring 2015, the volume of growing stock is 2.4 billion cubic metres. Over the past 50 years, its annual growth has doubled to 105.5 million cubic metres. Metsä Board uses around 4.9 million cubic metres of Finnish wood annually, meaning that the supply will not run out in the most densely forested country in Europe. What explains the success story of Finnish forest management? “Forests are our most significant natural resource, and we have a long tradition of taking good care of our forests. Finnish forest legislation has prohibited deforestation since the late 1800s. When we make use of forests, we must also ensure their renewal,” says Janne Soimasuo, environmental manager at Metsä Group. According to Soimasuo, the growth of Finnish forests has exceeded their use since the early 1970s. At that time, forest management measures were introduced to ensure good growth for commercial forests. “Forest management in Finland uses species naturally found in the country. The situation in many other countries is quite different. There, it’s much more common to grow foreign species, such as eucalyptus, in places where they would not otherwise be found,” Soimasuo points out. According to Soimasuo, using domestic tree species also enables their natural accompanying species, such as insects and fungi, to live in commercial forests and ensures their vitality.
IN SOCIETY The industrial use of forests for sawn timber and paper products began in the mid 19th century RAW MATERIAL ENERGY WATER AIR SOCIAL
AT METSÄ GROUP Metsä Group’s first mills were founded in the 19th century
1886
1934
Renewing the forests after use builds the base for the first Finnish Forest Act
Metsäliitto Cooperative was established
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“It’s great to see in practice where and how Finnish forests and wood raw materials originate,” says José Ayala, managing director of printing materials manufacturer Stafix.
Introduced in Finland at the turn of the millennium, forest certification supports the diversity of species by requiring, for example, that a certain number of retention trees are left in felling areas to increase the amount of decaying wood in forests. In addition, Finland has the largest number of forest areas strictly protected by the state in Europe. Strong, high-quality northern softwood fibre
Globally, only around 10 per cent of forests are certified. In Finland, certification covers 90 per cent of commercial forests. In 2014, around 79 per cent of the wood that Metsä Board used in production was certified. Metsä Board has actively participated in developing forest certification systems, with the PEFC being the most widely used system in Finland (read more about forest certification on p. 30–31). “All of our products are certified throughout the produc-
tion chain. We are also leading the way in traceability, as we are able to prove the origin of all of the wood that we use. Our raw materials always come from legitimate sources and sustainably managed forests,” says Minna Kantsila, product manager at Metsä Board. As well as being a renewable, sustainably produced raw material, northern softwood fibre is highly suitable for producing top-quality paperboard. Its strength properties are particularly superior to recycled fibre. This is largely related to the short growing season in the north in the summer: trees grow slowly, producing consistently high density. Fresh forest fibre is also necessary for recycling paper and paperboard and using recycled fibre. “If fresh fibre was not added to the stream, the production of wood-based paperboard packaging would run out of raw material in six months,” says Kantsila.
The oil crisis speeded up the transition to increased use of other sources of power
1970
Emerging discussions about emissions to water and air
RAW MATERIAL ENERGY WATER AIR SOCIAL
From intensive forestry to sustainable forest management
1980
Rising environmental management to wider corporate responsibility with social and economic aspects
1984 A forerunner in water purification: modern biological water purification plants were built to the mills. Other mills soon followed 12
1989 First Environmental Report published by Metsä-Serla, now Metsä Board
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Taking a break from normal office work, a team of employees from Stafix tried their hand at planting trees.
Ensuring diversity Metsä Group has cooperated with WWF Finland since 2011. According to Liisa Rohweder, CEO of WWF Finland, the main purpose of the cooperation is to ensure the diversity of natural environments in commercial forests. “In practice, this can mean discussing how the diversity of nature could be considered even more extensively in forest management. We put our ideas into practice by further developing forest management guidelines, for example, and training forest professionals to pay attention to the management of groves and sun-exposed slopes, which are particularly important habitats for endangered species,” says Rohweder. According to Rohweder, providing training for Metsä Group’s experts and forest owners also helps both parties to better understand one another and increases mutual
In-depth cooperation
trust.
Most of the forests in Finland are owned by families or small private owners. The average size of a forest holding is just over 30 hectares. Metsä Group purchases most of the wood it uses from the members of its parent company, Metsäliitto Cooperative, whose members own nearly half of the private forests in Finland. Globally, this arrangement is exceptional in the sense that the parent company of the Group is owned by around 122,000 members. Metsä Group provides these members with expert services that support their forest management and seeks to increase the value of their forest assets. “The cooperative ownership base ensures a steady supply of wood for us and a high demand and value for wood for the members. This increases the level of commitment and enables us to plan our operations for the long term. We can also take care of the renewal and management of forests on behalf of
1990
The Kyoto Protocol encourages states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
1999 95% of Finland’s forests certified
Customers’ rising interest towards the origin of wood and sustainable forest management
and business operations. Metsä Group has a good level of knowledge of natural diversity and its consideration in forest management practices, and this knowledge is increasingly seen as part of being a forest professional.” Rohweder emphasises that well-being in Finland will continue to be based on forests, and ensuring their diversity is high on the WWF agenda. “We cannot achieve our ambitious goals on our own, which is why we cooperate with many strategically significant players. Cooperation is one of the key principles guiding the operations of the WWF.”
2000
Forest management and the use of wood in public eye
From intensive forestry to sustainable forest management
Certified quality and environment management systems to mills
“An atmosphere of openness facilitates new, innovative ideas, the best of which benefit both natural environments
The Finnish forest sector sets voluntary energy efficiency targets
Emissions trading schemes and energy efficiency
Occupational health and safety management system OHSAS 18001 to Metsä-Botnia 13
For Stafix planting trees was a new way of spending time together that is also beneficial for the environment. The Stafix team: Veijo Jokinen, Lorenzo Bracco, Olli Räsänen, Aleksi Rastela, José Ayala, Adrian Darwin, Michael Trepczyk, Hanna Voutilainen, Arttu Seppi.
the owners, meaning that our operations forest industry. It will increase the annual extend far beyond the trade in wood raw FINNS CONTINUE TO use of pulpwood by around 4 million material,” says Jussi Ripatti, environmen- HAVE A CLOSE, EMOTIVE cubic metres, or around 10 per cent, at the tal director at Metsä Group. level. RELATIONSHIP WITH national Forest expert Mervi Seppänen helps According to Seppänen, forest owners FORESTS. Metsä Group’s owner-members with increasingly need comprehensive and issues related to forest management and easily accessible services, from clearing and wood supply in the Viitasaari region in Central Finland. seedling stand management to investment advice. If needed, “Our members truly feel that we are working towards a forest expert helps forest owners identify management and common goals. Of course, they also benefit through interest logging needs and provides an estimate of the related income income on their investment in the cooperative and through and expenses. competitive prices on wood,” says Seppänen. “Finns continue to have a close, emotive relationship with Metsä Group is building a bioproduct mill in Äänekoski, forests. They want to take good care of their forest holdings, around 60 kilometres from where Seppänen is based. The even if they don’t themselves deal with forests on a regular basis. new mill has met with a positive response from forest owners. This is one of the reasons why trustful relationships between us The mill is the largest investment in the history of the Finnish and forest owners are important,” says Seppänen.
Resource scarcity and population growth create an increasing need for resource efficiency
2010
RAW MATERIAL ENERGY WATER AIR SOCIAL
2014 In total -36% CO2 reduction per product tonne since 2009 -11% process water used per product tonne since 2010 14
Highlighting resource efficiency and increasing the value of side streams in all operations
Sanna Pastila, here in the picture with her 16-year-old cat Olga, finds the Metsäverkko online service particularly useful, since she lives far away from her forest holdings.
NIVALA
The Kangas family turned to Metsä Group's experts for help with managing their forest holding.
SAVITAIPALE HELSINKI
WORRY-FREE FOREST MANAGEMENT Sanna Pastila from Helsinki and the Kangas couple from Nivala in
and also pick berries and mushrooms. I always say that this is the
Northern Ostrobothnia represent different types of forest owners.
furthest that I will ever move from a forest,” Pastila says with a
Pastila lives far away from her forest holdings, while Olli and
laugh.
Helena are farmers. Pastila has a comprehensive forest management agreement
From one generation to another
with Metsä Group. She has a forest holding of more than 100 hect-
Olli and Helena Kangas run the Jokisaari dairy farm, which was
ares in the Savitaipale region, 200 kilometres from Helsinki. She
passed on to them by Olli’s parents in a change-of-generation
inherited part of her holding from her father and bought the rest in
arrangement. The farm keeps the couple busy to such a degree
a change-of-generation transaction. As an urban forest owner, she
that they decided to rely on Metsä Group for help with managing
finds the electronic services provided for owner-members to be
their forest holding of 35 hectares. They have been satisfied with
particularly useful.
the expert help.
“I try to visit my forest holding at least once a year, but I use the Metsäverkko online service practically every week,” says Pastila. Metsäverkko provides up-to-date information about the owner’s forest management plans, complete with maps, as well as information about forthcoming forest management measures, logging and investments. The forest management plan is also
The cooperation began in 2010, when they sold wood for the first time. They have also had logs sawn for their own use, to renovate the main building of the farm. “It would be easier to buy the wood from a retailer, but it’s a nice feeling to know the origin of the wood used in our house.” The couple are looking for financial gain, but values related to
available as a mobile app, which Pastila finds ideal for taking
recreation and the landscape are also important to them. Owning
pictures and notes in the forest.
forests is in itself something their entire family values.
As well as providing financial security, forests serve as a recreational resource for Pastila. “Even though we live in Helsinki, we live right beside a forest.
“The feeling that you are able to take responsibility for forests is important. We want to teach forest management to our children as well,” says Helena Kangas.
The forest is our second living room: we go for walks and picnics,
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PARTNERSHIP
A PARTNERSHIP MEASURED IN DECADES The merchant Inapa France succeeded in winning over an ecologically aware customer, thanks to the “homemade” certified wood Metsä Board uses. CHRISTOPHE RIEDEL
CORBEIL, one hour south of Paris. Here, in the green countryside along the banks of the Essonne river, the continuous paper-making machine was invented in 1798. Things have moved on since then, but the huge warehouse on Inapa France’s site continues the old tradition by shipping 500 tonnes
Inapa France
ished in 1965. Their Inapa France was establ ,000 tonnes and shipped volume is 195 0 tonnes. Inapa storage capacity 30,00 tuguese Inapa Por the France belongs to Lisbon Stock the on ed list is Group, which has operations in nine Exchange. The group many (Papier Union), countries: France, Ger Switzerland, Portugal, m, Luxembourg, Belgiu ola. Spain, Turkey and Ang France range from The products of Inapa of paper to ms rea consumables and and offset inks. UV and ts nke varnishes, bla printing of covers Examples include digital ) and POS (point-of-sale for prestigious books . ials advertising mater
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THIBAULT STIPAL
of paper from stock to its customers every day. Having spent 35 years in the firm’s service, Arnauld Ducouret, technical director and product manager at Inapa, is the 50-year-old company’s very own living history book. He likes to bond with people as he delivers the 8,000 part numbers in the company’s stockrooms. He’s therefore the best person to tell us how sustainability issues, especially forest certification, happened to be the key to one recent deal. A new green contract
Arnauld Ducouret and Stéphane Porraz, Metsä Board France’s account manager for Inapa, explain with one voice how Metsä Board’s grades tipped the balance in their favour to win a new customer. “Metsä’s paperboards were in competition against an Asian producer. We convinced the brand-owner customer of the importance of the origin of the paperboard, and the environmental aspects were decisive in his choice. Inapa was
able to explain these differences thanks to the strengths of Metsä Board.” Ducouret and Porraz summarise these strengths as “ ’homemade’ wood from certified northern forests and renowned lightweight cartonboard.” 100 per cent of the wood used to produce the board is traceable, and comes from certified or controlled sources. More than 80 per cent of the wood is PEFC certified. The complete supply chain is tightly controlled. “This added value in terms of reliability was decisive,” concludes Ducouret. The decisive lever? Transparency
Arnauld Ducouret talks about the partnership with Metsä Board. “For more than 35 years, we have been sourcing folding boxboard from Metsä Board’s Kyro and Äänekoski mills.” The partnership is built on exchanges between people, and according to Ducouret, “it’s an everyday task. It’s very important that partners meet one another!” These trusting and close relationships facilitate exchanges and negotiations.
Arnauld Ducouret, technical director and product manager at Inapa, is an expert on the company’s 50-year history.
The trust in this relationship has a lot to do with transparency: it was Metsä Board’s transparency that allowed the brand-owner customer’s preoccupations to be addressed. The customer wanted traceable products, guarantees that all social and environmental standards were met, plus a controlled, local supply chain. This demanded shorter movements of the raw materials and finished products in order to improve the carbon balance. “Right from the very first delivery, the customer was able to benefit from the combined gains of rapid supplies and raw materials with a reduced environmental footprint.”
Stéphane Porraz emphasises that “Thanks to the efforts made by Arnauld Ducouret’s team, we received the right information and were able to present to his new customer an optimal green pitch, including a host of arguments other than just the price.” This success was also the fruit of the swift, efficient engagement and involvement of numerous departments at Metsä Board and Inapa, from sales to sustainable development. Was this synergy decisive? Indeed so. The view ahead
Inapa are currently in a strong position, as the former paper and paperboard
manufacturer has extended its range of products and services for the graphical arts and digital sectors. “We have extended our distribution range to include plotters and inks for the graphical industries with Sun Chemical. Customers in the print graphical industries can now source their complete range of inks, and their paper, from us. And it will stay that way!” says Arnauld Ducouret. “We also have the fibre for the future, because paperboard, as long as it’s recycled, is an environmentally safe material and does not destroy forests.” With all this in mind, Inapa views its future with great confidence.
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NEXT-GENERATION BIOPRODUCT MILL Metsä Board’s associated company Metsä Fibre is currently building the world’s first next-generation bioproduct mill in Äänekoski, Finland. With a value of EUR 1.2 billion, this represents the Finnish forestry industry’s largest ever investment. Once completed, the mill will produce 1.3 million tonnes
METSÄ BOARD
SAMI VILJANTO
of pulp per year – nearly three times the annual production of the current pulp mill on this site. Metsä Board will invest EUR 24.9 million into the project, with the company’s holding in Metsä Fibre remaining at 24.9 per cent. The mill will begin operations in the third quarter of 2017.
More than just a pulp mill The bioproduct mill will use 6.5 million cubic metres of pulpwood per year to produce 1.3 million tonnes of softwood and birch pulp. Making full use of wood and production side streams was the starting point in designing the mill. Bioproducts will make up 20 per cent of the mill’s net sales, even in the first phase.
The most efficient recovery boiler in the world A significant share of all renewable energy produced in Finland is generated when black liquor, consisting of wood and cooking chemicals, is combusted in a recovery boiler in pulp production. This process converts the cooking chemicals into a reusable form. The bioproduct mill will be the most energy-efficient pulp mill in the world, as its equipment solutions are based on highly advanced energy technology. The mill will produce 2.4 times as much electricity as it uses.
Äänekoski bioproduct mill The bioproduct mill’s fibre line will process wood chips into pulp in around 24 hours. Production side streams will be used to produce other bioproducts and bioenergy. In terms of efficiency, the bioproduct mill will be in a class of its own.
TH E Ä Ä N E KOS K I
INVESTMENT
USE OF WOOD
SHARE OF CERTIFIED WOOD
PER CENT
OF PU LP A N D E N E RGY
1.2
6.5
P RO DUCT I O N .
EUR BILLION
MILLION CUBIC METRES PER YEAR
B I O PRO DUCT M I L L’S F IGU R ES S P E AK FO R TH EM S ELV ES. T H I S I S THE NEXT GE N E RAT I O N
18
90
1. Producer gas from bark and sludge to be
used as biofuel for the mill
New biofuels from bark and energy wood
TURPENTINE AND TALL OIL*
1. BARK*
2. Sulphuric acid and methanol from odorous gases
2. ODOUROUS GASES
to be used by the mill
3.
3. New bioproducts from lignin
LIGNIN
4. Biogas from sludge to be used as a fuel for vehicles
PULPWOOD
4.
SLUDGE
5. Fertilisers and earth work materials from ash 6. New textile fibres from pulp
CLEAN WATER
PULP*
Biocomposites from pulp
6. PULP UPGRADING
5. DREGS AND ASHES BIOENERGY* GLAUBER SALT
* PRESENT BIOPRODUCTS
E L EC T R I C I T Y P R O D U C T I O N
E L EC T R I C I T Y S E L F- S U F F I C I E N CY
PULP PRODUCTION
1.8 240 1.3
TERAWATT HOURS PER YEAR
PER CENT
MILLION TONNES PER YEAR 19
20
It ar ’s n fe ou ot Th ed nd on to is s to wit ly o fo is w o. h f n t od h T oo he se y M he m d a ci t rv e ic ts ark nd d y st e. ä r H Bo et f rink eet er a or s s e rd fo , b w th d o u he en ec d t i re ar ide ser t’s yo TY e d vi als u TT M IH th to ce o se ET Ä S M e Ä t e Ä B LÄ fo de bo ak p O A IN R d a e ur ic r in o D, EN IS gr at ds g o ple TO C ad e is ve w K PH O es a b gr r s al TO ,S of oa ow oc kin H U TT Ca rd ing ial g ER g ST rt ra – me O a C v d K d i De e si ia b di fam ly ca i . . ly
FO BO O AR D S D ER VI CE
21
o co llow n ser se ing vi qu th gr “N ce b ent e m co ade ow oard on- egat h ate s o , a C th re of and d,” f C ye ar e-g nd us wi s W a t o e r e t i v h tra ic th says arta r lat a D eat of ur pr “A in e e er, ed ing ba o D y ff t t l e fo v l t a e s p h h ser “Th to p ack e fo e pr edic we ica i , M nisa fre r a ides hes ting ctiv sh res a l e a or e p th vic e late agin ur g odu a. T hav n 2 etsä tio n e e p s g r c w e 01 fo pon igh rea dr ack t Fr h r s e s stea pack opu , fold fro ades t ma o o alto 4. Boa , bus est sib tw ar ink ag Fo om r f k l g m , o y e a i d fib le ig e a ing ng Th iré fro agi rit ed c Ca nag the eth d r t th lau life e. m ng y o tra up rta er gr er res pac ht mu . – e n rea uced he t e n fo su A a . If f e ys s f D M ad fo ch style wh kag and st r p cc pla stu y as , a or e in es ur dy at wo ew ed s a w d o n s i i ro ess te rd u y e d ho ic na ar di ch ng us he ex In , th th ye m th nd tec o m y p ha at ta t a a c K e u ffe e f th are m tain n t re tru ad e p e Ta ars ac i f k a r n a v n a n a t oo e a a d e e f n e r q d M n i a r ter ab lki on oo e o pe a g is aw d c b ts coa nt pr ui sion iti od ko e hin d r l b e o i d n e i e a r , fo a f p p ar hi y. ld u la te n od es c on uc m tsä e al e s g n ew fo ol ab sed . d a ha nd ap late be gh o d to “E uce bar oati to t tion ill. N Bo u n d r r l nd ce ab th ti ou in in saf dri erbo wh cue, y in pa xtr d w rie ng he of o ard ks m le ei on t s tw d et nk ar ich it’s ter ,b a raw r f fo uc pa Be perb usio ith r pr line new Ca w, w ha o y d n l o , o i a c c i r n y pe fo o n ex op at f rta it s b w in n- ca s e on k m st f br ess f l -co tr er t ol D h t ee a s o n r s r e a t a v u r a e f b an od V ter oo nd ul lat he- be sily en d w oa M d o at usi tie he din ed he n m d ial d p o pa io mo rec di ien ith rd et ffe ed on s a m g ic n a Al ersa w n c s i e s . s r t g n a ” b l r l y p od ne ka , b ve cl o to fo co C til are ä B s f pap co ain l. A ox w w f uf ra go ed sab ea od ati ar ity uc rs gin co oar ood erb atin st, su boa ill b old actu nd es aft le t ts. an g. ng ta D a d a f g i e b o r r n s o in ha er aft t ’ d . n d O O s s i er ar fo e d t e r g n t r g , n u er o d c a ex n ma an bo g C ur on ur r a di fo by wn vice d co an d-i se. am tia ch sfe xb a b p dd ca rm v o d e n- ” a m e e e c pl l am in rre oa rta xt xt om p ard rte pe iti gra a ase e e, ern ru p et r r on de b d D r , b d s o s M m are lo oa un e the m ed al s c ilit al sion an es o o r a o i i ba an y ist t o tsä re ch ca co c es n m ki d rri b ur f f B . nv oa an m ad ng in , it e a oo oa er e u er tin o any e eo h ter g pp o at as pr se nd d rd f th be op d a an is s. lin or cc g e H en rea d al er s t e s tu asi f s tie h n o t o s us pr ar ity ns e, od o in s. ey um ots an s v co in to i wit e e d s m r m t h t m v e i h e, arl p pl ill ey ice ng i or y 2 rov ast ca pa n a wi ics e 0 c n 17 th . T th be kag n , M eir ra an in n s g ex ets us sfe tru ä B tai rr sio oa nab ing n rd ili or ’s ty. ” di sp ers io n
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22
pr “W in e t su W rep hav als itab hat rod e b o le ’s uc oth co “Th have for in co tion un in nsi ey ne foo mm ,” s coa di ste a ut d ca n re ra co on ays ted tes cy a l s n w Ka op cle an lso ens tact ith nts tio an d fo har ory as th ila ns fo lin rm d- p w e w . ra ess a siz rop ell, ho na . C bili ed er as le tu t t ar ty o ie the Ca ra ta en pr s. y rt l lo D ab ev a a r D ok ef e ed le en re di ica sm t e an e o ca dc is oo dge f o pr ve th p oa pt od ry p en ted ica uc ve rin etr op rsa tin at lb tf tio rig am til g ion e p an b ns ht ily d e ap c y m fo ne is t rs erb on o r s ( hat up oa ver istu O t eri h rd tin re B e or A g ,” e g . Th r f a a nt n e re d e) es hu d t ir . Th ar ses he exc i e r ey e Ka p ll nt ure ent sil s a. ha de
THE SHAPE
OF THE NEW
Metsä Board’s Husum mill in Sweden is now a paperboard mill; the new board machine sprang into action in January 2016. This marks the beginning of a new era for the mill. TYTTI HÄMÄLÄINEN
SEPPO SAMULI
The past year has been a year of changes at Husum: one paper machine was transformed to produce linerboard and the mill’s port was upgraded. And now, a new folding boxboard machine has started. This is the big picture which includes a lot of details, planning, forecasting and hard work. “The building of the new folding boxboard machine went according to the schedule, even though it was deliberately made tight,” says Kai Vikman, vice president of Technology at Metsä Board. Vikman is also the project director of the technologies to be installed at Husum. To a non-engineer, the building of a new machine sounds, well, kind of simple. But listening to Kai Vikman, it’s easy to realise the size of the project. “For example, during the busiest month, there were around 1,000 builders working at the site. But there has also been the finalisation of the product specifications, processes, technologies and training for the mill personnel,” adds Vikman. The training is naturally needed because manufacturing board is different from manufacturing paper.
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H U S UM The first investment shutdow n was held successfully in April. ∙ Paper machines 6 and 7- were closed during October–November 2015. ∙ The new folding boxboard machine (BM1) started in January 2016. – Related inf rastructure improvements included the upgrade of the harbour. ∙ The extrusion coating line will start at the beginning of 2017•
400,000 tonnes/a
FOLDING BOXBOARD
300,000 t/a LINERBOARD 7-50,000 t/a B L E A CHE D KR AFT PULP
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To share insight regarding the differences, the training programme involved everyone; truck drivers, operators, engineers and product specialists, to name but a few. Visits were made to board mills in Finland, and training were also given at Husum. “With extensive training, we have made sure that high-quality board is also available from this mill now that the new board machine has started.” The ramp-up of the new board machine will take some time, and it should reach its full capacity of 400,000 tonnes from the end of 2016. Enhanced food service board
Vikman says that the starting point for the design of the new machine was to be able to optimise the quality and efficiency of the boards. “With the brand new board machine, the benefits of our boards remain the same: high quality, brightness and lightness. This equates to all paperboards manufactured at Husum; Carta Dedica, Carta Solida and Modo Northern Light.” Modo Northern Light is the fully bleached liner that has been manufactured at Husum since 2014. Now, with the new board machine, the production of Carta Dedica will also be centralised at Husum. “This has given us the opportunity to enhance the board to meet the customer requirements even better. Since its launch in 2014, the Carta Dedica range has been expanded to four grades, Fine, Fresh, Firm and Fast,” says the product manager of the board, Minna Kantsila. (Turn to the previous article to read about Carta Dedica in detail). The boards manufactured at the mill are targeted at specific markets; Carta Solida to North American markets, food service board to the Americas and to food service end-uses globally. The fresh forest fibre linerboards are also for global markets. Different coating options
For the manufacturing of high-quality boards, it’s essential to use Metsä Group’s own pulps.
“This helps us know better how the fibres behave during the process.” The board production at Husum uses chemical pulps made at the site and Metsä Board Kaskinen’s bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP). “In addition to our own pulp mill, it’s also a plus to have our own port which makes the shipping of both pulps and boards easier. And with regards to the pulp mill, it helps that the mill is within close proximity to large forest areas with good existing infrastructure,” explains Vikman. The mill has a modern coating section, a separate unit, as opposed to being a part of the board machine. “Because it’s a separate unit, we are able to coat both folding boxboards and linerboards on the same machine. This increases flexibility,” explains Vikman. Metsä Board is also investing in its own extrusion coating line for Husum, which will begin production at the beginning of 2017. “A substantial amount of food and food service packaging requires barrier properties against, for example, moisture and grease, and they can be produced with extrusion coating,” says Kantsila. Thanks to the new machine Metsä Board’s paperboard capacity will be over 2 million tonnes per year. This is good news for all Metsä Board customers; there should be good availability for paperboard in all the markets.
Please turn to PA GE 21 for more information about the products made at Husum.
The investments in short ◊ The value of the investment is approximately EUR 170 million, plus the extrusion coating line and related infrastucture approximately EUR 38 million. ◊ Starting from 2016, the annual board capacity of the paperboard mill is 700,000 tonnes of which 400,000 tonnes folding boxboard and 300,000 tonnes linerboard. ◊ Paper machines PM6 and PM7 were closed and PM8 turned to linerboard machine BM2. ◊ The folding boxboard production is targeted especially at Americas and global food service markets ◊ From the beginning of 2016, Metsä Board’s paperboard capacity will be over 2 million tonnes annually ◊ The capacity of the extrusion line to be launched in early 2017 will be 100,000 tonnes.
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THE LUNGS OF THE CITY Living in harmony with nature has been the dream of humans for centuries. The urban forest makes that dream a reality. IAN FENTON
ISTOCKPHOTO
Tiergarten 2.1 km² Berlin, Germany Created 1527 The park was originally founded to accommodate the King of Prussia’s preferred pastime, hunting. This use gradually faded away as the city of Berlin began to expand and the hunting area shrank to accommodate its growth.
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CITY PLANNERS seem to have always understood
HAVING 11 MORE TREES ON A CITY BLOCK CAN MAKE YOU FEEL 1.4 YEARS YOUNGER*
the need for greenery in their towns. As far back as the 18th century, various prominent figures *in terms of your cardio-metabolic condition began to use the phrase “the lungs of London” to describe the city’s Hyde Park. Similar words were famously adopted by Frederick Law Olmsted, the influential American landscape architect, in 1872, to explain the Manhattan green space he was in the process of augmenting: Central Park. Today, we use the urban forests within such city parks not only for recreation and socialising, but as vital filters for pollution and the storage of carbon dioxide, which helps to abate global warming. We have come to rely on these “lungs,” and as a recent study undertaken at the University of Chicago has shown, the reasons are more scientific than metaphorical.
Plotting trees against health
The researchers, led by psychologist Omid Kardan, scrutinised two sets of data. Firstly, the details of every public tree kept by the city of Toronto, which number some 530,000, categorized by species, location, and tree diameter, and supplemented by information on other trees gleaned from satellite photography. The second database was composed of the health records of 30,000 of the city’s occupants. These provided insight into the subjects’ individual self-perceptions of health, as well as heart conditions, the prevalence of diseases such as cancer and diabetes, and mental health issues, for example. Not only did the study confirm the positive effects of living in close proximity to trees, but the so-called “public trees” appear to confer the most significant benefits.
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HAVING 10 MORE TREES ON A CITY BLOCK CAN MAKE YOU FEEL 7 YEARS YOUNGER* *in terms of health perception
“Controlling for income, age and education, we found a significant independent effect of trees on the street on health,” Marc Berman, a co-author of the study and also a psychologist at the University of Chicago, explained to the Washington Post. “It seemed like the effect was strongest for the public [trees]. Not to say the other trees don’t have an impact, but we found stronger effects for the trees on the street.” Trees share the qualities of youth and wealth
Perhaps most interestingly, when the researchers compared the benefits of living close to public trees to other known health differentiators such as age and wealth, they were in a position to make some stunning claims. “We find that having 10 more trees in a city block, on average,” the study maintains, “improves health perception in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of USD 10,000 (EUR 8,850) and moving to a neighbourhood with USD 10,000 higher median income or being 7 years younger. We also find that having 11 more trees in a city block, on average, decreases cardio-metabolic conditions in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of USD 20,000 (EUR 17,700) and moving to a neighbourhood with USD 20,000 higher median income or being 1.4 years younger.” From Central Park to the vast urban forests of Europe, such as Berlin’s Tiergarten, citizens have been enjoying health and happiness for generations thanks to their local trees. Elsewhere – as in Tokyo, for example – a city’s wooded recreation space can offer the urban landscape a few rare natural indications of the changing seasons. It just goes to show: some truths Point of interest: Hundreds of movies have don’t need to wait for science to been shot in Central Park, making it the most prove them. filmed location in the world. Countless others
Central Park 3.41 km² Manhattan in New York City, United States Created 1857
have included aerial shots of the park or were filmed on its borders at locations like the Plaza Hotel, Trump Tower, and the Dakota Apartments.
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Ueno Park 0.53 km² Taitō ward in Tokyo, Japan Created 1873 Ueno Park is one of Tokyo’s most popular spots for the viewing of sakura (cherry blossom trees) in bloom. Visitors can enjoy their pink addition to the urban landscape from the end of March until early May.
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CERTIFICATION PROMOTES SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY
Wood supply
The origin is known of all of the raw materials used by Metsä Board in its paperboard production. All of the wood comes from sustainably managed forests and can be traced back to its source. TIMO NYKÄNEN
M
etsä Board knows the origin of the raw materials – wood, chemicals and energy – that it uses in the manufacture of its products. All of the wood is fully traceable to its source, regardless of its country of origin and whether it comes from a certified forest. Metsä Group purchases wood from Finland, Sweden, the Baltic countries and Russia. More than 80 per cent of the wood comes from certified sources. “Traceability simply means that we can verify the sources of the wood and the legitimacy and sustainability of the entire supply chain,” says Jussi Ripatti, environmental director at Metsä Group. The traceability and transparency of the entire value chain also ensure that
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packaging made from Metsä Board’s paperboard meets product safety requirements. Metsä Group’s wood tracing systems are certified and verified according to PEFC and FSC Chain of Custody requirements. Other raw materials and services are also purchased from reliable suppliers complying with Metsä Group’s Supplier Code of Conduct. Supporting diversity and marketing
Forest certification has been used in Finland since the PEFC was widely adopted at the beginning of the new millennium. More than 90 per cent of commercial forests in Finland have
PEFC certification, while around 6 per cent have FSC certification. Of all the forests in the world, only around 10 per cent are certified, which puts Finland in a class of its own. For Metsä Group, FSC and PEFC certification are supplementary ways to foster the diversity of forest environments and support the marketing of forest industry products. In terms of responsibility, both serve as a reliable way to prove the origin of products. In this respect, there are no significant differences between the systems. Their differences are related to areas protected from felling and the number of retention trees, as well as the size of buffer zones around natural water systems.
ALL OF METSÄ GROUP’S WOOD IS FULLY TRACEABLE TO ITS SOURCE, REGARDLESS OF ITS COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND WHETHER IT COMES FROM A CERTIFIED FOREST (AS MORE THAN 80 PER CENT DOES).
Pulp
“PEFC was initially introduced in Finland largely because of its group certification model, which favours small forest owners. Today, FSC features group certification as well,” says Ripatti. In Finland, nearly two-thirds of commercial forests are owned by private citizens and families, with the average size of forest assets being small: 30 hectares. Nordic countries lead the way
According to Thorsten Arndt, head of communications at PEFC, a bottomto-top operating model that focuses on local operators makes the PEFC particularly suitable for small forest owners. Its operating model allows for the development of national standards
Paperboard
based on local special characteristics and in alignment with PEFC’s globally recognised sustainability benchmarks. According to Arndt, this explains the global popularity of the PEFC as the most widely used forest certification system. “In our opinion, the development of standards and ownership at the national level are key factors in successful forest certification,” says Arndt. Currently, PEFC is working on expanding the system to cover the rest of Asia in addition to China, as well as Africa. Especially in these cases, paying attention to local factors is important. “For example, these areas do not always have a well-functioning network
of local forest organisations, which is tremendously important to enable smallholders to obtain certification. For this reason, we greatly appreciate the example set and support provided by Nordic forest owners’ associations for creating and strengthening similar local operators,” says Arndt. He says that the Nordic countries are exemplary promoters of sustainable forestry. “Urban people are not necessarily that much in touch with forests anymore, but people in the Nordic countries have managed to maintain a very personal, appreciative relationship with forests.”
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S E R O C S T N E L L E C EX IN THE
TYTTI HÄMÄLÄINEN
METSÄ GROUP
METSÄ BOARD REACHED excellent levels in all three public reporting programmes of the CDP:
Climate Change, Water and Forest. The company also actively participates in the Supply Chain reporting programme where it is invited by some of its brand owner customers. For the depth and quality of climate change reporting to investors and the global marketplace, Metsä Board achieved the highest score ever with 100B in the Nordic Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI). In the Water programme, Metsä Board was the only company in Europe that received a Leadership Status on how the company reports water scarcity, stress and other water-related issues. Metsä Board was also the only forest industry company on the list. In the Forest sub-programme, the feedback was also very positive. The data was also filled in for the Supply Chain sub-programme, where Metsä Board’s data was analysed as a part of our customers’ reporting. “We are proud to note that the work we have been doing in all areas, climate change, water and forests, has been fruitful and it is also now acknowledged by the CDP,” says Metsä Board’s CFO Markus Holm. The CDP disclosure scores are provided to investors and other decision makers through various channels, including Bloomberg terminals, to help them assess corporate preparedness for changing market demands and emissions regulation. CDP now holds the largest collection globally of primary climate-change, water and forest risk commodities information and puts these insights at the heart of strategic business, investment and policy decisions. In the next issue, Metsä Board Magazine dives deep into the CDP.
CO2 = 100B
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= Leadership status + Water A list = Leadership status
SUCCESS ON DISPLAY A supportive hand from Metsä Board has helped to keep Polish litholaminator TFP Grafika on the growth track. IAN FENTON
LIKE ALL THE BEST business manoeuvres, Polish firm TFP’s
move into litholaminated products began with a strong customer need. Having begun life as a producer of corrugated board, in the early 2000s their retailer clients began asking whether it could also supply litholaminated store displays. Rafał Leciej, commercial director of TFP Grafika, the sister company founded to take advantage of this demand, picks up the story. “There weren’t many producers in Poland offering this kind of product,” he tells us. “So we began to develop it, activating R&D and studying the market.” Visiting other countries to get a sense of how shop displays were developing, TFP’s team observed increasingly colourful packaging, and abundant store displays. It was clear that there was a real opportunity in litholamination, one that complemented TFP Grafika’s first steps into the new business. “It was easier to start with displays than packaging,” he continues, “as we had no machines for high-volume production at the time. Customers were particularly happy with our creative team’s designs, and thanks to this we were able to grow.” Building on their entry into the market as a commercial agent primarily using subcontractors at the printing phase, by 2007 TFP Grafika had invested in litholamination, die-cutting and fold-gluing machines of their own, and a new production house was born. Since then, expansions into packaging and permanent displays, and the adoption of in-house printing facilities, have contributed to the company’s growth.
MICHAL KALET
The secret ingredient
TFP Grafika’s success story is a tale of acute observation and business savvy, but it is underpinned by one crucial fact: litholamination is a challenging application, and one for which material selection is tremendously important. Metsä Board has been providing TFP Grafika with board expertise since the very beginning, even before a single sheet of Kemiart Graph was sold. Once again, it all started with the customer, and, in particular, the rapid growth of Poland’s retail chains. Their need for colourful packaging, mostly printed in offset, made excellent printability a must in TFP Grafika’s board choices. “Our customers in retail made suggestions about the quality they wanted to see,” Rafał explains. “They had high expectations, and this translated to the need for a kraftliner with excellent printing properties, coated for offset printing. Metsä Board were on hand immediately with suggestions.” Let’s get technical
In the litholamination process, the stiffer the board used, the better. This ensures that operations can be executed quickly without jams in the machine. In the printing phase also, board made from fresh forest fibres offers a distinct advantage. “Metsä’s board helps us to achieve better efficiency in printing thanks to the reduced need to clean the machine, as
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they don’t generate dust,” Rafał continues. “Waste-based materials make a lot of dust, and the structure of the board is not so solid.” With dust also having a visible impact on printing results, the question goes beyond reduced downtime: overall quality is also in jeopardy. Another potential challenge in litholamination relates to cracking along the folds of the package or display, which can occur during the bending or die-cutting stages. Thankfully, this issue is also circumvented by the use of Metsä’s boards. “Our customers, and particularly their marketing departments, are very sensitive to this fault, which often occurs when using waste-based material. For them, we need the perfect product: it has to be virgin-fibre-based board.” Fresh forest fibres, also known as virgin fibres, and the expertise required to make the best use of them, are a clear competitive advantage for TFP Grafika. Building on their ability to satisfy their ambitious retail customers, the company was able to begin collaborations with international agencies to supply markets in Scandinavia and Western Europe. Currently, 35 per cent of its products are exported, with the domestic share at 60–65 per cent depending on the time of year. The service mindset
DOSSIER
Even after Rafał’s patient summary of the advantages of Metsä Board’s products, when asked what he likes best about the
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TFP Grafika, based in Srem, Poland, offers corrugated board, design packaging and displays for both local and international clients. They also provide design and consultancy to help their customers arrive at the ideal solution. Relying on creativity and an individual approach to each customer, the company develops a wide range of products, combining advanced printing and electroluminescence techniques.
working relationship with his supplier, he turns right away to the subject of service. “We see Metsä Board as the company interested in being close to manufacturers,” he enthuses. “They really wanted to help us with technical support, which is a very tangible benefit for us. With our litholaminating and printing machines, for example, they supplied us with material for testing.” The notion of technical customer service from a supplier is not one convertors take for granted. In fact, the advice Metsä Board’s technical experts provided came as something of a surprise for TFP Grafika. “Metsä Board helped us to test and find the best possible solution. We greatly appreciated this. Metsä Board were also constantly working on their own quality, making notes on where they might improve. “We feel that their team listen to us,” says Rafał. “Generally, if you speak to the big mills producing hundreds of thousands of tonnes, sometimes they aren’t able to fulfil your expectations or meet your needs. With Metsä Board it’s different.” By the sounds of it, neither party is resting on their laurels here. Yet more applications and board types are being explored, not to mention TFP Grafika’s eagerness to maintain their track record of growth and expansion. With market share and export sales on the increase, there is certainly more ground to be covered yet.
“WE SEE METSÄ BOARD AS THE ONLY COMPANY INTERESTED IN BEING CLOSE TO MANUFACTURERS.” Rafał Leciej, Commercial director, TFP Grafika
What is litholamination? Litholamination combines extremely high-quality graphics with the option to do short production runs. First, graphics are printed on a liner using an offset lithography press. Then the sheet is laminated onto a single-face corrugated board, which is then die cut and glued to make a finished container.
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NAME: KATRI KAUPPILA TITLE: VP, COMMUNICATIONS, METSÄ BOARD
wish to share our news and inspiring stories about product, service and process developments with you, and recently we have accomplished a great deal in this area. The planning, installation and start-up of our new folding boxboard machine in Husum, Sweden has been a big effort between Metsä Board and our partners. At the same time, we have continued our development work in food service boards, to be able to provide you with boards designed for specific end-uses. All of these achievements are worth sharing with you in this magazine. Nevertheless, I understand that our customers require a closer rapport with us. Even in today’s digital world, personal relationships, open dialogue and face-to-face contact continue to grow in importance.
WE AT METSÄ BOARD
Taking the time to talk
By communicating face-to-face, we can work more easily to meet each other’s expectations – exchange information, share views and continue developing our businesses together. Our sales representatives, technical experts and customer service coordinators are your closest contacts in facilitating this dialogue.
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Nevertheless, for longer discussions and development planning, it’s crucial to reserve time away from daily work and beyond annual negotiations. Indeed, also our customer survey tells us that a large number of our customers are keen to engage in close conversation with us. A good way to do this is through mill visits. During trips like these, our customers can meet our business and mill management, and get a feel for the working ethos at our production sites. Come and unwind in our forests
It also makes sense to combine a mill visit with a trip into the Finnish or Swedish forest to see sustainable forest management in action, and learn how we care for the environment. As our mills are located close to rivers, lakes and woods, a visit to them offers a rare occasion to unwind in natural surroundings before returning to business priorities. So, if your company would like the opportunity to thoroughly understand how we serve you all the way from forest to consumer, discuss this with your Metsä Board account manager. We hope to welcome you to Finland or Sweden sometime in the near future!
THE WORLD IN WOOD Wood and water are approaching scarcity in certain areas of this planet, but Finland has both in abundance. SAMI VILJANTO
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The world’s forests
Coniferous forests Deciduous and mixed forests Tropical and subtropical forests
The wood stock situation Growing stock change in the 50 most forested nations (in colour)
Gaining growing stock
Zero change
Losing growing stock
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Forest certification levels
8% 90 %
36 % 65 %
2%
2%
1% 7%
Both FSC and PEFC (includes SFI, CSA and ATFS) Only FSC Only PEFC
X%
Share of certified forests per region
Water availability Source: Facts and Trends: Water, WBCSD
Little or no water scarcity Physical water scarcity Approaching physical water scarcity Economic water scarcity
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