From forest to a cereal box

A harvester is undertaking thinning operations in a forest site, harvesting some of the trees. This is pulpwood for pulp production, which will be converted into paperboard in the next phase. Up to thousands of paperboard packages can be made from a single pulpwood.

Only a growing forest can bind carbon

During a shift, a harvester driver harvests hundreds of pulpwood trees and makes numerous decisions that are important for the natural environment and the forest owner: Which trees need to be felled? Which must be left to grow? Which will turn into high stumps to ensure the diversity of forest nature, or a protective thicket for birds and mammals in the forest?

“We ensure the strong growth and vitality of the trees, as well as their ability to bind carbon, by making room for the trees to become sturdier. We also safeguard valuable habitats during forest work, in addition to supporting biodiversity by favouring mixed forests, for example,” says Krista Kimmo, Communications Manager, Wood Supply and Forest Services at Metsä Group.

We ensure the strong growth and vitality of the trees, as well as their ability to bind carbon, by making room for the trees to become sturdier.

KRISTA KIMMO | METSÄ GROUP

Every part of the tree is used

When regeneration felling is performed in a forest, several woodpiles emerge by the road: not only pulpwood, but also logs of spruce, pine and birch. The logs will be converted into mechanical wood products that bind carbon for a long time, for construction and other purposes. Pulpwood from the same tree species will be used in the production of pulp and other chemical bioproducts. Bark from the harvested trees, as well as some of the branches and tree tops, are used in the production of renewable energy.

“All logs from felling go to sawmills and plywood or Kerto mills, and the thinner pulpwood from tree tops and thinnings is used in pulp production. The various wood fractions are used for the purposes where they add the most value,” says Anne Uusitalo, Product Safety and Sustainability Director at Metsä Board.

The various wood fractions are used for the purposes where they add the most value.

ANNE UUSITALO | METSÄ BOARD

Natural and pure wood has found its way into all kinds of products. For example, we are surrounded by products made from pulp. “Pulp is used to produce Metsä Board’s high-quality fresh fibre paperboards, for example, which replace fossil-based packaging materials,” says Uusitalo.

“We have access to the world’s best natural, renewable, recyclable and biodegradable raw material, every part of which is always used 100% efficiently for products of the highest possible value. Nothing is wasted.”

We are proud of our forests

Finland is the most forested country in Europe. Forests cover 75% of Finland’s land area. While forests have given way to cities in many other European countries, the Finnish forests have been left to grow to a very considerable extent. Now our forests have more trees than ever before during recorded history, and the total volume of wood in our forests continues to increase.

The ownership base of Finnish forests is also unique globally: 60% of Finnish forests are owned by private individuals. “One in seven Finns is a forest owner, and forests are passed on in families from one generation to the next. Forests are important to their owners not only financially, but also for recreational purposes,” says Kimmo.

This is reflected in the sustainable management and diverse use of our forests. “Finnish forest owners are interested in their forests, and want to leave vital forests for future generations.”

Fresh fibre paperboard from Finnish forests

Metsä Group is a company owned by forest owners, and most of the wood it uses comes from Finnish forest owners’ sustainably grown forests.

“We always know the origin of the wood we use, because the wood mainly comes from the more than 100,000 Finnish forest owners who are members of Metsäliitto Cooperative,” says Leena Yliniemi, Product Management Director at Metsä Board.

This ensures the traceability and high quality of the wood raw material for Metsä Board’s fresh fibre paperboards. “The combination of strong and pure wood fibre from well-managed northern forests and top-notch Finnish production technology and expertise results in premium paperboard. Its journey can be traced from the stump in the forest to a cereal or pasta box, among other uses,” says Yliniemi.