(UPM, Helsinki, 28 May 2009 at 10.30) – UPM's EU Eco-labelled paper products offering is growing in Europe and in the USA. Currently, UPM's EU Eco-labelled products are authorized for use by seventeen paper merchants on a total of 39 different product lines.
"UPM is the largest producer of copying and graphic papers awarded the EU Eco-Label. We can offer over 100 products awarded with the EU Eco-label from 14 of our paper mills in Austria, Finland, France, Germany and the UK," says Phil Riebel, Vice President, Environmental Affairs, UPM.
The EU Eco-label, also known as the "EU Flower", is the official EU mark awarded to greener products. For copying and graphic paper, the Eco-label guarantees that the lowest air emissions and greenhouse gases are produced during the papers production as well as ensuring the highest standards of process water cleaning. The EU Eco-label is also a proof of reduced energy consumption, and reduced environmental risks by restricting the use of hazardous chemicals.
According to Riebel, the EU Eco-label is one of the few credible labels that considers several key elements of the environmental life cycle of paper: "The label focuses on an overall low footprint, including the use of recycled fibre or wood fibre originating from sustainably managed and certified forests,"
UPM started using the EU Eco-label in 2006. In 2008, the turnover of UPM's EU Eco-label offering reached over a half of the Group's paper sales, which represents a major part of the EU Eco-label's global turnover.
For more information please contact:
Mr. Philippe Riebel, Vice President, Environmental Affairs, UPM, tel. +358 (0) 40 563 4191
For more information see http://ec.europa.eu/ecolabel and http://www.eco-label.com
UPM is one of the world's leading forest industry groups. UPM consists of three Business Groups: Energy and Pulp, Paper, and Engineered materials. Our competitiveness is based on cost leadership, change readiness and leading innovation. The Group employs around 24,000 people and it has production facilities in 14 countries. In 2008, UPM made sales of EUR 9.5 billion. UPM's shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki stock exchange.
