Consumables

Recycling brings a new face to ecodesign

Wednesday 12. September 2012 - UPM has partnered with the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 by bringing its sustainable products to the world of design. One of the main purposes has been to promote ecodesign, a concept that incorporates environmental aspects in product design, right across the entire lifecycle.

The majority of UPM’s products fulfilled the criteria for ecodesign even before the concept was even invented.
“A comprehensive approach right at the beginning of the design process is essential, as approximately 80% of the environmental load is set at this stage,” Jutta Nuortila-Jokinen, Manager, Environmental Services stresses. However, ecodesign also brings benefits at the end of the value chain.
Consequently, UPM is increasingly interested in promoting paper’s life through recycling. Material efficiency conserves raw materials both at the beginning of the value chain as well as at the end, since the product does not generate waste, but can be recycled as raw material. Paper can be recycled up to six times after its first use, and even after the fibres wear out they can still be used to generate renewable bioenergy.
“Recycling enables us to maximize the lifecycle of biomass and produce paper in an eco-efficient manner. The renewability of the raw material used for paper and its recyclability go hand in hand, making paper the sustainable choice both ecologically and economically. In addition, recycling prevents the unnecessary loss of reusable fibre to landfills,” says Päivi Rissanen, Environmental Director of UPM Paper.
Recycling in the world of cross media integration
“We strongly believe that print will continue to be a preferred medium for advertising, where it can conveniently coexist with digital media. We promote the recyclability of printed material and are already the world’s largest user of recycled fibre in graphic papers,” says Rissanen.
Another reason for UPM to promote recycling is the desire to continue the good results achieved so far in this area: the paper industry has been at the forefront in promoting environmental performance, recycling and recyclability of its products.
“Paper recycling is at the heart of UPM since efficiency is a key aspect of our identity,” Rissanen concluded.