Environmental protection at the mill

The operating principles for environmental protection are specified in the mill's quality and environmental management system. The environmental management system complying with the ISO 14001 standard was certified in October 1999. The environmental management programme is guided by the company's operating policy. Based on the company strategy and operating policy, we set annual environmental objectives, which are then expressed in more detail in individual departments' operating plans and employees' personal target programmes. This way the entire personnel is engaged in environmental protection.

Key areas of environmental protection include the treatment of effluents and flue gases and solid waste management. Preventive environmental protection comprises prevention of malodorous and particle emissions, reduction of noise and prevention of oil leaks. The solid waste management involves administering the Sulento industrial landfill site in accordance with the permit conditions.

The implementation of the environmental management programme is monitored regularly by internal audits carried out by own personnel and by external audits carried out by the Finnish certification body SFS Certification. In addition, the mill's executive management group assesses the level of environmental protection in their annual review.

Environmental protection is also taken into account in the procurement of raw materials and supplies and in the choice of contractors. Investment planning also pays attention to environmental aspects, and inquiries are made into the environmental management of suppliers when calling for bids. The environmental impacts of products are assessed by means of environmental label calculations, life cycle analyses and product labels.