Today, UPM reuses or recycles 90% of its production waste.
Our target is a 25% reduction in the amount of landfill waste created by 2020, in comparison with the level in 2008. We will improve our waste reuse by improving internal production efficiencies and by increasing the amount of waste recycled back into production. We will also increase the amount of waste recovered for energy production and the amount of waste reused in new products.
Waste from label materials and RFID is recycled or used as energy
In labelstock and RFID production, most of the waste is considered as a by-product, which can either be recycled or used to generate energy. The remainder is sent to a designated landfill site.
UPM's long-term target is to reduce waste volumes, increase recycling and offer customers solutions to their waste challenges.
Plywood and Timber production results in minimal waste
The plywood and timber mills make efficient use of raw materials. We utilise wood by-products such as bark, sawdust and woodchips for pulp, chipboard, cardboard and energy generation. The amount of landfill waste created is marginal. We are constantly looking for opportunities to recycle or recover products at the end of their lifecycle.
At pulp and paper mills we reuse almost everything
The volume of solid waste taken to landfill sites from UPM paper mills has decreased significantly over the past years as a result of higher efficiency in production processes and increased opportunities for reuse. We utilise major parts of the production waste as raw materials or in energy generation.
Depositing solid waste to landfill sites has the most significant environmental impact in waste management. The environmental impact of mill landfill sites is being monitored in line with permits and regulations issued by the relevant authorities.
Waste streams at UPM's pulp and paper mills include the following:
• Ash from mill power plants is the most significant individual contributor to solid waste. Currently, about 80% of the ash is already being used in areas such as earthwork operations, the cement and brick industry, or as a fertilizer. We analyse ash composition thoroughly before it is reused. The remainder is taken to landfill sites.
• We use wood-based waste such as bark, fibre residues and fibre sludge as fuel at its mill power plants. Fibrous residues that are not incinerated are reused, for example composted or used in soil construction.
• Other production waste such as coating colour waste and green liquor dregs from paper coating and chemical pulping, are for the most part reused, e.g. in the construction industry and for soil improvement. The rest is mainly taken to landfill sites. UPM reuses about 90% of the residues from recovered paper processing such as fibres, fillers and printing inks as fuel in the mills' combined heat and power plants.
• We sort other solid waste, mainly metal, board or plastic waste, and utilise it whenever possible. We take non-usable waste fractions to landfill sites or municipal waste incineration plants.
• We forward hazardous waste, such as oil or oil-contaminated equipment, to licensed hazardous waste treatment facilities and document compliance with relevant statutory requirements.