From sourcing to product safety, here are the answers to the most common questions we hear.
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We offer Origin of Wood Statement for each of our paper mills with details of tree species, countries of origin, and our forest certification details.
UPM’s tracing systems and chains of custody cover the requirements of forest certification schemes worldwide. We verify that the fibre supplied to our mills is sustainably sourced, legally logged and procured according to the requirements of international forest certification schemes and the EU Timber Regulation, US Lacey Act and other regional jurisdictions.
All wood we source is minimum 100% FSCTM controlled wood guaranteeing responsible and sustainable source of the wood. UPM has both FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody certificates (FSC C014719, PEFC/02-31-80). UPM Specialty Papers’ mills hold an FSC Mix Credit certificate, meaning that all FSC certified products are considered with 100% certified fibre input.
Deforestation means that the land use changes permanently, and forest cover is lost. According to FAO’s State of the World’s Forests 2022, over 90% of global deforestation is caused by agricultural expansion.
UPM strictly condemns deforestation. Our own forest management and additional wood sourcing do not cause deforestation anywhere in the world. UPM’s long term view ensures that forests grow more than we harvest. We plant 55 million seedlings every year.
UPM safeguards biodiversity in the own forests through the implementation of our biodiversity program, established already in 1998. In 2018, UPM set the target of Net Positive Impact on biodiversity, which we measure with several indicators. To enforce our commitment, we have linked the pricing mechanism of our financing to long-term biodiversity and climate targets.
To guide our responsibility actions, we have defined a set of focus areas, performance indicators and targets for 2030. Our mill sites place special emphasis on preventing air and water pollution, reducing waste and energy consumption, and mitigating local impacts such as noise and odour. We use the Best Available Techniques (BAT) available to minimize the environmental impact of our operations.
All UPM Specialty Papers’ mills are registered with the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), a voluntary environmental management system for companies and other organisations to improve, evaluate and report on their environmental performance on an annual basis.
UPM’s focus is on constantly improving the water efficiency, maximizing the recycling of water, reducing effluent load and increasing the use of recycled nutrients in its effluent treatment plants. Modern techniques have greatly improved the water usage of paper making. The water risks are also assessed regularly both short and long term, and the assessments confirm that the company’s production sites are located in areas with low or medium basin risk.
We use ECF bleached pulp. Elementally Chlorine Free (ECF) is a process in which pulp is bleached with chlorine dioxide.
UPM is committed to reducing the CO2 emissions from the own production and purchased electricity (scope 1 + 2) by 65% by 2030 compared to 2015. This target is confirmed by Science Based Targets Initiative and is in line with the Paris agreement’s business ambition of 1.5°C degrees warming. UPM’s commitment regarding the value chain (raw materials and logistics) CO2 emissions is -30% by 2030 compared with 2018. On this target we are working together with our suppliers.
UPM Specialty Papers mills reduce CO2 emissions by investing to new technology, optimizing energy efficiency and increasing the use of renewable or CO2-free energy. As few examples, our Finnish mills Jämsänkoski and Tervasaari we have all purchased electricity CO2 free since 2022, our Chinese mill Changshu is purchasing wind power and our German mill Nordland has taken a new more efficient combined heat and power plant into use. We are also switching fossil fuel boilers to electric ones.
UPM calculates its papers’ carbon footprint based on the ten elements of the Carbon Footprint Framework for Paper and Board Products developed by CEPI (Confederation of European Paper Industries).
All papers consist of fibres, moisture, fillers, pigments and binders.
All UPM papers are repulpable and recyclable in existing fibre streams, they are compliant with standard EN 643 (European List of Standard Grades of Paper and Board for Recycling). We test our papers internally and externally to be recyclable according to e.g. PTS cat II RH 021/97 recyclability requirements or recently published 4evergreen method.
Several UPM packaging and label face and base papers have been certified as industrially and home compostable, according to the EN13432:2000 and NFT51-800:2015 standards. If a material is biodegradable, it means that it will be broken down by biological processes. A compostable material is also biodegradable, but the requirements for compostability go further than that: for a material to be compostable, it must biodegrade and disintegrate into non-ecotoxic, fertile compost in the testing temperature conditions and within the testing time period.
All UPM packaging grades are safe for direct contact with food and comply with food contact regulations in both Europe (EU 1935/2004, BfR) and the USA (FDA) or other local regulations; for example, packaging papers from our Changshu paper mill in China, also meet local GB food safety standards. The compliance declarations for UPM paper products used for food contact applications are included in the Product Safety Profile documents.
All UPM Specialty Papers’ mills have certified ISO22000 Food Safety Management System in place, also UPM Changshu mill PM3 is certified under FSSC 22000 Food Safety Management System and QS Chinese license of food contact materials. The food safety processes at our paper mills meets GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) requirements.
Respect for human rights is an integral part of our Code of Conduct and the associated policies, statements, rules and guidelines. We expect a similar commitment from our suppliers and third parties. UPM Code of Conduct establishes the principles of responsible behaviour towards all our stakeholders. We have set clear focus areas and targets for our work in social responsibility. They cover our respect to human rights across our businesses and value chain and provide a safe and rewarding working environment for our employees while contributing to the vitality of the communities around us.
Susanna Hyrkäs
Senior Manager, Sustainability
UPM Specialty Papers
Jue Wang
Manager, Sustainability
UPM Specialty Papers
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