The winner of Metsä Group’s sustainability competition for suppliers is Soilfood

Smurfit Kappa has opened a new recycling plant in the Tuscan region of Italy, strengthening its recovered paper service in the region. Smurfit Kappa Marlia will process approximately 15,000 tonnes of recovered paper annually and this is expected to increase to 25,000 tonnes next year. The new plant is strategically located in the district where 60% of Italian containerboard and 90% of tissue paper is produced. The Marlia depot works closely with the local council, supermarkets and businesses to collect used paper and board which is transported to the Smurfit Kappa Ania Paper Mill in Lucca where it is used as raw material to produce new containerboard. Speaking about the new facility, General Manager, Luca Mannori, said: “We are delighted to have this new plant up and running, which is further evidence of our ongoing commitment to sustainable development and an important addition to the region. Click Read More below for additional information.

After its invention in the 20th century, plastic was seen as a miracle material. Today, we know about the various health and environmental risks it brings. Korean company Dongnam Realize found a sustainable alternative in CXP, a new kind of thermosoftening wood made from PEFC-certified wood. Thanks to its plastic-like properties, CXP can replace the plastic products we use in our daily lives. We spoke to Seunghoon Lim, Chief Technology Officer at Dongnam Realize, who told us more about the material and its potential to make the future more sustainable.

SCA cooperates with approximately 25 contractors as part of the planting work. This in turn means almost 500 planters will be active in the forests, from Svappavaara in the north to Hassela in the south. The planters are from many different countries, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Ukraine and Nepal. They begin planting in mid-May and continue into October. The planters work both in SCA’s own forest and on the land of private forest owners, who have contracted SCA to help with planting. Before the planters leave for the forest, they must have successfully completed the Skötselskolan (Forest Management School) training course, which is a industry-wide online training course. Those working as planting supervisors, meaning people leading planting work in the forest, must also have completed a practical course covering consideration for nature conservation and cultural heritage. Click Read More below for additional information.