Finnish paper industry emissions were lower once again, though production was up from last year. Especially clear were reductions in waterway nutrient and chlorine compound emissions.

The forest industry used close to EUR 90 million (FIM 520 million) on direct environmental investments last year. About 40 per cent of this amount was targeted at the protection of the waterways, about a third at the air pollution control and about a fifth at waste management. At the same time production was up by 4.5 per cent.

Production volumes achieved record highs in all major product groups. Forest industry net sales grew to EUR 35 billion - which is in the same category as Finland's state budget.

Eutrophic nutrient and chlorine compound emissions into the water were reduced by over 10 per cent. Air emissions also declined except for nitrogen oxides for pulp production, the amount of which grew somewhat. In contrast, the energy sector's nitrogen oxide emissions were clearly down, as were the total reduced sulphur emissions of pulp mills that cause odour problems.

A tenth of investments for environmental protection

Over the last five years, the forest industry has invested EUR 416 million (about FIM 2.4 billion) for environmental protection. Last year, environmental investments accounted for about a tenth of all investments in the sector, which is slightly higher than in 1999.

Investments in waterway protection amounted to EUR 36 million (FIM 216 million). The majority of the investments were targeted at reducing water consumption. Water is now recycled more efficiently and efforts have been made to improve the management of water utilisation in paper and board production. The operations of waste water treatment facilities and sludge separation have been made more efficient. Waste water discharges were indeed reduced significantly over the year.
Investments in air protection were the second biggest, amounting to EUR 29 million (FIM 172 million). The focus was on the management of malodorous gases. Over the past decade, they have been reduced by more than 80 per cent.

Finland is a leader, after the German speaking countries, in the collection of used paper and board. Last year 142 kilos of paper and board were collected per resident. The collection rate rose to an all time record of 67 per cent.

The focus of forest industry waste management was on reducing the amount of landfill wastes and on increasing the efficiency of waste sorting. The majority of pulp and paper mill landfill wastes comprised ash from energy production. 352 tons of non-recyclable waste paper accumulated.

About 70 per cent of pulp and paper industry wastes are re-cycled. For example, the re-utilisation rate of wood materials originating as process by-products, such as bark, chips, saw dust and construction waste, is about 97 per cent. 99 per cent of paper collected of the mill is re-utilised as raw material.

The Finnish forest industry has been publishing mill specific emissions information since 1990. Mill specific carbon dioxide emissions were now published for the third time.

Finland is the only country in which the forest industry publishes mill specific emissions information. In Germany and France, for example, they are considered to be business secrets. The EU Commission plans to publish emissions information for all EU area mills in summer 2003.

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