For responsible packaging, cardboard has an advantage: it is made from a natural, renewable, recyclable and biodegradeable resources. With operations located, in areas with rich and solid forest resources, Metsä Board uses only fresh fibres (i.e. non recycled) sourced from sustainably managed Northern Europe forests.

Very early, the group has invested in the certification of its forest resources and in clean production processes. It has been a pioneer in cardboard lightweightening and has recently made major investments in the use of forest bio-resources for energy production.

Last year, Metsä Board efforts were rewarded with the company’s admission into CDP’s Nordic Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI). CDP is an international, not-for-profit organisation providing a global system to measure, disclose, manage and share environmental information. Metsä Board achieved an excellent score of 98 out of 100 for the depth and quality of climate change data it discloses to investors and the global marketplace.

In practice, the group has set a number of sustainability objectives for the period 2009-2020, for instance:

 To keep the proportion of certified wood resources above 80%,
 To improve the energy efficacy by 10%,
 To decrease CO2 emissions by 30% for each ton produced,
 To decrease by 17% the quantity of water necessary to produce a ton of product.

Some of these objectives have already been fulfilled. Thus carbon emissions per tonne produced has been reduced by 36% in 2014 compared to 2009. The company can also trace back to the source all the materials used in its production process. The company also provides its customers with the detailed environmental profile of each of its products (product composition and related emissions, wood’s origin and details of wood species used, environmental management system of the manufacturing unit, etc.).

This environmental concern has become a key element of the group’s DNA and also an important asset in the marketplace, including in the luxury sector.

The packaging of a luxury item is a vital part of the product it is protecting and showcasing. It must provide an aura of prestige. Purchasing premium products is an emotive process. At the same time, we find consumers are increasingly looking for sustainability, and need information both on a product’s credentials and on origins of the packaging itself,” says Christophe Baudry, Commercial Director for Beautycare at Metsä Board.