UPM moving into bioplastics, continues busy 2018

UPM has joined forces with Norwegian packaging company Elopak and chemical producer Dow to convert its renewable naphtha into cartons.

Alongside renewable diesel, the Finnish company’s UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery produces naphtha, an excellent raw material for bioplastics. The naphtha can be converted into renewable resins which can be used in the packaging industry.

According to a statement from UPM, using renewable polyethylene for the plastic coating of cartons reduces the carbon footprint of producing liquid food packaging.

Elopak produces 15 billion cartons each year. By joining forces with UPM and Dow, they can now offer 100% renewable cartons that are both recyclable and responsibly sourced.

“Every tonne of UPM’s wood-based naphtha that Dow converts into bioplastics reduces one tonne of fossil raw materials used,” explained Sari Mannonen, vice president of UPM Biofuels.

“The sustainability of the entire value chain is verified with ISCC PLUS certification.”

Kristian Hall, director of Corporate Environment at Elopak, explained: "In Elopak we are constantly looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of our packages. Thanks to our partnership with Dow and UPM Biofuels, we can now substitute the fossil-based polyethylene with a 100% wood-based solution - and we are able make fully renewable cartons without compromising quality," 

 

Busy year for UPM?

2018 has already seen a number for big news stories from UPM, suggesting a busy year ahead for the forest industry company and biofuel producer.

In January, UPM received a RSB sustainability certificate for the cultivation of the Brassica carinata crop for biofuel production, marking the first time an RSB certificate had been issued in Uruguay.

In February, it was announced that UPM had commenced an environmental impact assessment for a possible biorefinery in Mussalo, Kotka, in the southeast of Finland. The proposed facility would use a different raw material base and technology to UPM Lappeenranta. If built, the Kotka Biorefinery would produce 500,000 tonnes of advanced biofuels for transportation.

“We are looking into the use of several new feedstocks that fulfil sustainability criteria, such as wood residues and other sustainable wastes and residues,” said Petri Kukkonen.