Norwegian forest certification system submitted for assessment

UPM has recently joined the EU’s Clean Hydrogen Alliance and become member of the Roundtable on Clean Hydrogen for industrial users. UPM has also joined the newly established Finnish Hydrogen Cluster. UPM is well-positioned for the hydrogen economy and wants to be proactive in the developments that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Clean hydrogen is emerging as one of the key enablers for the European Union goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. “Clean hydrogen provides several interesting opportunities for UPM. We have an in-house access to renewable and CO2-free electricity, water resources, biogenic CO2 and hands-on experience with hydrogen in our advanced biofuels production in Lappeenranta. Our specific knowhow and resources will enable UPM to develop possible new business opportunities in the emerging hydrogen economy”, states Jyrki Ovaska, Executive Vice President, UPM Technology. Ovaska represents UPM in the EU’s Roundtable on Clean Hydrogen for industrial users.

Plastic waste doesn’t have to be waste at all. It can be a resource. With the support of GP Recycling, the Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration (CRDC Global) is converting plastics into a concrete additive called RESIN8. Now instead of ending up in a landfill or the ocean, those plastics can be used to make the concrete that goes into homes, businesses and infrastructure. “First and foremost, the big value of RESIN8 is keeping the plastic out of landfills,” said Kevin Butts, director of strategy and business development for GP Recycling. “On top of that, you’re able to substitute plastic for traditional aggregates to improve the performance characteristics of the concrete.” Concrete produced with RESIN8 is lighter and provides better insulation, according to CRDC Global. In non-structural concrete applications, RESIN8 can improve insulation by up to 35%, per CRDC Global.

A world without waste holds untold benefits for our environment and contributes to sustained protection of the world’s precious natural resources. But this concept, as embodied by the principles of a circular economy, can also unleash tremendous opportunity for growth and innovation that experts say will deliver $4.5 trillion in new economic potential by 2030. That’s because, as noted by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “a circular economy is restorative and regenerative by design, and aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest utility and value at all times.” To get there, companies are pushing to achieve greater productivity and eliminate inefficiencies, and in doing so, realizing the economic reward that comes from these practices.