Environment and responsibility

​In addition to technical requirements, sustainability is being valued more and more among today's environmentally conscious end users. The fact that wood is a renewable raw material is only one side of the story of the ecology of plywood.
 

• Wood is a renewable material and we use it responsibly in WISA products.
• The use of wood products mitigates climate change. Growing forests function as carbon sinks, wood products as carbon dioxide stores.
• Wood is a durable material and wood products have long service lives.
• Most wood products can be reused and recycled.
• At the end of their life cycle, wood products can be utilised for bio energy generation. Burning of wood releases the same amount of carbon dioxide into the air as wood decomposing on the forest floor.
• Manufacturing of wood products often requires less energy than the use of alternative materials. Most of the energy used in manufacturing is bio energy that is obtained from the by-products of harvesting and production, such as bark, chips and sawdust.

​Creating more with less is UPM’s means for better material efficiency. Sustainable and efficient use of resources brings with it advantages with regard to energy, production and cost efficiency.

How do we minimise our environmental impacts?

UPM is committed to sustainable forestry and forest management methods that are based on the internationally accepted principles of sustainable forest management.

• We know the origin of the wood we use.
• We know and control the environmental impacts of our plywood and veneer mills and are committed to continuous improvement. All our mills have certified ISO 14001 environmental management system.
• Permits issued by the environmental authorities regulate our activities and we report transparently on our operations.