As one of the first companies in the Swedish forest industry, Korsnäs has introduced complete EPDs for its range of products. An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is a document that comprises a full record of the environmental impact of a product based on a life cycle analysis.
The aim is to provide relevant, verified and comparable information to help organisations and companies communicate the environmental performance of their products in a credible and understandable way. All data is verified by an independent body – Det Norske Veritas – and are based on international standards for life cycle assessment, ISO 14040 and 14044.
Transparency and reliability are great customer benefits
"The use of EPDs benefits our customers in several ways," says Sven Hjelmstedt, business manager Cartonboard, Korsnäs.
"When customers want to publish their own EPDs, we have already done our part of the job for them. Our EPDs offer total and verified transparency.
Because EPDs are continuously updated, the information is current. And with every update, our customers can monitor how we are doing in terms of development and improvements."
Pioneering
Korsnäs aims for true sustainability in its products as well as its operations. Eco-friendliness is inherent in the product. The products are made of pure 100% virgin fibre. The forest is a renewable resource – for every tree harvested, three seedlings are planted.
Korsnäs has a history of pioneering developments in the environmental field. Korsnäs was the first forest company in the world to obtain an ISO 14001 certification from seedling to finished product, which means Korsnäs had the industry’s first environmental management system in place. That was in 1997. That same year, Korsnäs became the first FSC® certified forest company and so became the first company in the industry to verify its sourcing through an audited chain of custody. FSC® and PEFC certifications ensure that all raw material is derived from responsibly managed forests.
Power to the people
The latest venture in this field is the current CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plant project, which will result in district heating for 17,000 households in the city of Gävle, and will be fully operational early 2013. The plant is owned jointly by Korsnäs and Gävle Energi AB and will produce electricity, steam and heating. The significant environmental benefits include a 20,000 cubic metre reduction in the use of fossil oil, corresponding to emissions of approximately 60,000 tons of CO2.
Climate programme
Korsnäs intends to remain the industry leader in environmental work. In its vision for the future Korsnäs aims to become fully independent of fossil fuels and to be self-sufficient in terms of energy. Recent developments in the Korsnäs climate programme include:
• A new evaporation plant at the Gävle mill, reduced fossil CO2 emissions by 54,000 tons
• A new biofuel incineration plant at the Gävle mill, generating district heating in the municipality while reducing fossil CO2 emissions by 60,000 tons
• Investments in the Frövi mill, generating district heating for a neighbouring municipality and reducing fossil CO2 emissions by 20,000 tons
• Adaptations of logistics systems and transportation modes to achieve environmental benefits