Korsnäs First to Provide Complete Product Environmental Documentation
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Korsnäs, Sweden, reports that it is the first company in the forest industry to provide complete environmental declarations for a broad range of products according to the international EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) standard. The EPD system sets a standard for the methodology of measuring, compiling, and presenting the particulars of environmental performance.
An EPD, Korsnäs explains, is a document that contains a full record of the environmental impact of a product based on a life-cycle analysis in accordance with ISO 14044. Information in an EPD includes environmental impact data such as emissions into air and water, use of energy, and potential environmental gains. It allows customers to assess the environmental impact of Korsnäs products "from cradle to customer gate." It provides data that enable customers to account for the environmental footprint of their operations.
"Today any brand must relate to environmental issues in a clear way and deal with this matter in its brand communications," says Per Haglund, director of sales and marketing, Korsnäs Paperboard. "To be distinctive and strong, a brand must make a statement. The choice of a responsible packaging solution is a good start. The EPDs will be a great help for our customers (converters, brand owners and packaging designers) when conveying their environmental credentials to their customers in turn."
Environmental impact is different from one type of product to another. This is why the standard requires that an EPD be based on Product Category Rules (PCR). The PCR bring transparency and enable comparison of data in accordance with an internationally standardized system. The process of establishing PCR and compiling the EPDs was coordinated and supervised by IVL, part of the Swedish Environmental Management Council, according to Korsnäs.
Korsnäs has three production facilities in Sweden, at Gävle, Frövi, and Rockhammar, having a total production capacity of 1.1 million metric tpy of cartonboard and paper, with integrated pulp production. The company also produces biofuel pellets at two plants in Latvia.
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