Metsä Group makes a commitment within the Circular Economy Green Deal

Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. and Neenah, Inc. announced the future name of the combined company upon completing the pending all-stock merger of equals. Each company’s shareholders are scheduled to vote on the transaction on June 29, 2022. The transaction is expected to close on or around July 1, 2022, subject to Neenah and SWM shareholder approval, approval by antitrust authorities in Poland, and other customary closing conditions. Upon close, the new company name will be Mativ, Inc. (“Mativ”) and its shares will begin trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbol "MATV." The "SWM" and "NP" ticker symbols will be deactivated.

Stora Enso is making an investment in dispersion barrier technology at its Forshaga site in Sweden, as a step in its innovation agenda. The investment of approximately EUR 10 million enables the development and production of paperboard with barrier properties that are easier to handle in a recycling process, have a lower carbon footprint and can be compostable in industrial facilities. The new equipment is expected to come into use during the second quarter of 2021. Stora Enso Forshaga manufactures and develops barrier solutions that are required in certain packaging, for instance to protect against liquid, moisture, oxygen or fat. Liquid packaging, beverage cups and certain food packaging are some of the products that have a barrier which serves to protect the packaged product, while also ensuring that the packaging maintains its user-qualities. The investment in new dispersion technology aims to achieve the desired barrier properties in a more sustainable way. Stora Enso Forshaga has an annual capacity of approximately 120 000 tonnes of barrier coating across two machines/coating lines, with around 100 employees. Since the beginning of this year, the Forshaga site has also become a competence center within Stora Enso’s Packaging Materials division, tasked with producing and developing new bio-based barrier technologies and products.

SCA intends to invest SEK 1,45bn in the production of chemically pre-treated thermo-mechanical pulp (CTMP) at the Ortviken paper mill in Sundsvall. In parallel, SCA is initiating consultations with trade unions and employee representatives to discontinue the production of publication paper at the mill. SCA intends to invest to achieve an annual production volume of 300,000 tonnes of CTMP pulp at Ortviken, using the existing infrastructure. Currently, SCA produces coated and uncoated publication paper on three paper machines at Ortviken paper mill with annual sales of approximately SEK 4bn. Demand for publication paper in Western Europe has declined by approximately 5% per year since 2008.