Innovative utilisation of side streams plays an important role in circular bioeconomy. Many of our products are made of residues, side streams and waste generated during traditional production processes.
Circular bioeconomy in action
UPM BioVerno renewable diesel and naphtha are produced from crude tall oil, a residue of chemical pulp production
Closing the loop with renewable plastics
Renewable bio-based plastics offer all the convenience of conventional plastics, but with a greatly reduced carbon footprint.
Arla to bring 40 million wood-based packages into supermarkets
Arla wants to provide consumers with new opportunities to choose more responsible products. Arla was the first company in Finland to use renewable wood-based bioplastics in gable top paperboard cartons for milk, yoghurt and cooking products.The tall oil-based raw material is a Finnish innovation by UPM.
Almost every third Finnish family is recycling more thanks to children – Arla and UPM launch a new game to encourage recycling
Finland’s first educational activity book teaching preschoolers about recycling is out
UPM, Arla Finland and K Group have teamed up with Oppi&ilo to create Finland’s first educational activity book designed to teach Finland’s 60,000 preschoolers about recycling. The Kierrätyskaverit (“Recycling friends”) activity book aims to make recycling a fun, easy and inspiring part of their daily lives.
Story of UPM BioVerno diesel – from innovation to final product
See the journey of UPM BioVerno renewable diesel from innovation into real product in UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery, Finland.
UPM Raflatac collects label waste from its customers and partners
This waste is recycled using a variety of RafCycle® recycling solutions, including UPM ProFi.
UPM Raflatac innovates towards circular economy
UPM Raflatac is committed to developing labelling solutions with other industry leaders to support brand owners in eliminating unnecessary plastic packaging and achieving their target of 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025. Reaching these targets requires the cooperation of players on the whole packaging value chain.
Tested in a sauna – a vanishingly thin innovation revolutionises labeling for small breweries
UPM Raflatac has developed innovative solutions such as thin film materials, wash-off adhesives and label materials containing recycled content to promote a circular plastics economy.
The recycled release base paper product family is the first commercial glassine product of its kind
The release base papers used in production are collected from end users and desiliconised in a unique process. The pulp is then reused for papermaking.
UPM ProFi biocomposite utilises the cellulose fibres and plastic polymers generated as manufacturing surplus from self-adhesive label material production
In 2023, 71% of plastic polymers used in UPM ProFi were based on recycled materials, and the percentage will increase in the future.
Paper recycling is a good example of the circular economy in action
UPM is one of the biggest users of recovered paper in the graphic paper industry. We used 0.8 million tonnes of recovered paper in 2023. Recycled fibre represents 17% of all the fibre used in our paper production.
Recovered paper is an essential raw material for us. We want to safeguard its availability by co-operating with communities and wastepaper companies. Most paper can be recycled. This includes used newspapers, cardboard, packaging, stationery, direct mail, magazines, catalogues, greeting cards, envelopes and wrapping paper.
Recycling is the most sustainable way to give paper a new life.
Lignin, a by-product of pulp production, is used in WISA BioBond gluing technology, which is used in plywood manufacturing
Ash from biomass-based energy generation is used in several product applications
Ash can be used in soil stabilisation or in the cement industry, or internally for replacing caustic soda or PCC. In 2023, 93% of our ash was reused.
A good example of our out-of-the-box thinking is our fly ash innovation, Elurit, which can be used during the bleaching stage of the papermaking process to replace caustic soda. Another is Cinerit, a fly ash-based soil stabilisation product. The UPM Schongau paper mill and SMI have together developed a new process for producing precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) from ash.
Ash is a major waste fraction with many possibilities for utilisation
UPM aims for zero waste to landfill by the year 2030 globally. After this, no waste will end up in landfills or be burned without energy recovery. Ash is a major form of waste – but there are already many uses available for it.
Read more about circular economy solutions in the construction industry
A breakthrough in recycling ash
The UPM Schongau paper mill in Germany and on-site partner SMI developed together a new process for producing precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) from residue ash. The new process is a breakthrough in many ways: it is a new smart way to use residue ash and saves a great amount of energy in the bargain.
Making ash a recycling opportunity
Just about everything that UPM does, no matter how innovative, starts in forests. The fibrous sidestreams that are left over from traditional forest industry processes can be used to generate biomass-based energy. This leaves its own sidestream: Ash.
Pulp production residues and side streams
Around the world people are living longer and wealthier. However, the growth of population and consumption present a challenge for sustainable development. We need more renewable and recyclable alternatives to fossil-based materials, and we need to use residues and side streams efficiently.
We aim to use only recycled nutrients at our effluent treatment plants by 2030
Our latest commitment to Baltic Sea Action Group diverts ship-generated wastewater discharge from sea to land
In June 2022 we published our latest commitment to the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) for the years 2022 - 2026. Along the commitment we became the first Finnish company, acting as a shipper and charterer, to discharge our ship-generated wastewater on land and to utilise various circular economy solutions in wastewater treatment. The commitment focuses on promoting BSAG's Ship Waste Action initiative. The initiative aims to establish a model whereby cargo ship effluents are discharged at the port, and their nutrients are recycled through circular economy solutions.
Read the press release
A delicious meal cooking in the composting plant of Kekkilä for the micro-organisms of UPM Kaukas water treatment plant
From the beginning of 2019 approximately one third of the nutrients used by UPM Kaukas mill integrate’s biological wastewater treatment plant has been replaced by Kekkilä Recycling Joutseno composting plant’s side stream: reject water rich in nitrogen.
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