Sustainability is the driving force behind UPM´s lignin products and solutions. Our lignin products originate from responsibly sourced wood and are made out of a side stream of a pulp mill. They will radically reduce your product´s carbon footprint - enabling a fossil-free future for materials.
At the forefront of creating renewable solutions beyond fossils
What makes UPM Lignin solutions sustainable?
We offer our customers ways to replace fossil raw materials with renewable alternatives and reduce their environmental footprint.
Low carbon footprint
100% Renewable
Non-toxic to users and nature
From sustainably managed forests
No food or feed competition
Kraft lignin is a by-product of the pulp production process
Material efficiency is a key factor in making solutions based on wood responsibly and sustainably. UPM´s lignin products are made from black liquor, a side stream of pulp production and thus contribute to a responsible utilisation of raw materials, where no part of the tree is wasted. When a tree is harvested from a forest, the best part of it becomes high-quality sawn timber and the rest is used to produce pulp and - eventually - paper or tissue. This process creates a huge amount of renewable energy and various side streams and residues.
As a raw material, wood provides a very good starting point for sustainable products. It can be produced under strict environmental standards ensuring preservation of biodiversity and the function of of forest as carbon sink. UPM´s lignin is fully renewable and its use creates substantial environmental benefits compared to the use of fossil based and other non-renewable raw materials.
All benefits of sustainably managed forests embedded in lignin
The global need for sustainable biochemicals and solutions is rising. Minimising the use of CO2-intensive fossil resources is the most important way to mitigate climate change. Wood is a renewable raw material which can be transformed into a variety of products such as pulp, paper, timber, plywood, biocomposites, biochemicals and lignin, which also retain carbon throughout their lifecycle. Wood has enormous potential as a renewable and carbon-neutral raw material.
1. Sustainably managed forests act as carbon sinks.
They bind CO2 from the atmosphere and mitigate climate change. Trees capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere when they grow. At the same time, carbon dioxide is stored in the soil.
2. Lignin products are extending the climate benefit of trees.
When wood is processed into lignin, carbon dioxide continues to be stored, throughout the life of the product. For example, one dry tonne of UPM BioPiva™ lignin has the effect of holding 2345 kg of CO2e* from the atmosphere.
3. The forest is helping to replace fossil materials.
Lignin is used in a growing number of products and applications from binders to agriculture – thus reducing the release of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
4. At the end of the product´s lifecycle, the carbon is returned to the atmosphere for new generations of trees to absorb.
Carbon originating from a renewable resource is part of the natural carbon cycle and does not release additional CO2. This is the fundamental difference between fossils and renewables.
*CO2e (Carbon dioxide equivalent) is a term for describing different greenhouse gases in a common unit. For any quantity and type of greenhouse gas, CO2e signifies the amount of of CO2 which would have the equivalent global warming impact.
UPM BioPiva™ lignin – Natural. Renewable. Certified Biobased
100% wood-based UPM BioPiva™ lignin products hold the USDA Certified Biobased product label verifying that the carbon in these products originates not from petroleum, but biomass instead. Utilising renewable, biobased materials to displace non-renewable petro-based chemicals plays an increasingly important role in mitigating climate change.
Our sustainability commitments
Join us in making a lasting difference with sustainable bio innovations.
By working with us, you take positive climate action. UPM is among the first global forest industry companies who are committed to the UN’s Business Ambition to take tangible actions to mitigate climate change and limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
Responsible sourcing is the basis for our sustainability approach. We are committed to continuously improve our sustainability performance throughout the whole value chain.
We develop and innovate renewable and responsible products to reduce the world’s reliance on fossil raw materials. By working with us, you are contributing to a critical mission – a future beyond fossils.
Product stewardship
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