UPM Biofuels enters the bioplastics market with new partners

Press Release 14.3.2018 13:00 EET

(UPM, Helsinki, 14 March 2018 at 13:00 EET) - UPM is committed to creating value from sustainable bioinnovations. In addition to renewable diesel, the UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery produces renewable naphtha - an excellent raw material for bioplastics. It can be transformed into renewable resins needed to create bioplastics, e.g. for the packaging industry.

Choosing the right packaging solution can make a big difference. Beverage cartons have the lowest CO2 footprint among liquid food packaging today. Now even the plastic coating of cartons can be wood-based - using renewable polyethylene reduces the footprint further. 

Elopak, Norway-based company supplying 15 billion cartons around the world each year, joined forces with UPM Biofuels and Dow to offer 100% renewable cartons that are both recyclable and responsibly sourced.

"Every tonne of UPM's wood-based naphtha that Dow converts into bioplastics reduces one tonne of fossil raw materials used. The sustainability of the entire value chain is verified with ISCC PLUS certification," explains Sari Mannonen, Vice President, UPM Biofuels.

Creating a 100% wood-based carton has been a great example of collaboration across the value chain to find sustainable solutions.

"In Elopak we are constantly looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of our packages. Thanks to our partnership with Dow and UPM Biofuels, we can now substitute the fossil-based polyethylene with a 100% wood-based solution - and we are able make fully renewable cartons without compromising quality," says Kristian Hall, Director of Corporate Environment at Elopak.

UPM Biofuels is one of the few renewable naphtha producers in the world. "We are very excited and proud of this collaboration and ability to offer a high quality wood-based raw material to replace fossil raw materials in packaging," concludes Mannonen.

Learn more about 100% wood-based cartons: link to a video

For further information please contact:
Sari Mannonen, Vice President, UPM Biofuels, tel. +358 45 265 1345,
e-mail:sari.mannonen@upm.com

UPM, Media Relations
Mon-Fri 9.00-16.00 EET
tel. +358 40 588 3284
media@upm.com

UPM Biofuels
UPM plans to become a major player in high quality, advanced biofuels for transport. Biofuels are an essential part of the Biofore strategy. The innovative wood-based biofuels developed by the company and their production technologies are part of a sustainable future. UPM's biofuels are frontrunners in quality, usability and sustainability. They will significantly decrease greenhouse gas and tailpipe emissions compared to fossil fuels. www.upmbiofuels.com

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UPM
UPM leads the forest-based bioindustry into a sustainable, innovation-driven and exciting future across six business areas: UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Paper ENA and UPM Plywood. UPM provides sustainable and safe solutions to the growing global consumer demand. Products are made of renewable and recyclable materials. The group employs around 19,100 people worldwide and its annual sales are approximately EUR 10 billion. UPM shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. UPM - The Biofore Company - www.upm.com

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Elopak
Elopak is an international supplier of paper based packaging solutions for liquid food. Based in Norway, and wholly owned by the Ferd Group (one of Norway's largest privately owned industrial groups) Elopak is continually developing its packaging expertise to match the changing demands for packaged food.
60 years of continuous expansion and growth, sees a truly global corporation operating on every continent. With in-depth penetration through a network of market units and associates in more than 40 countries plus customers in over 80, the Elopak Group seeks to bring its international expertise and product technology to new markets. Today, Elopak is a leading global supplier of packaging solutions to the fresh dairy and juice industries. www.elopak.com

Dow
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) combines science and technology knowledge to develop premier materials science solutions that are essential to human progress. Dow has one of the strongest and broadest toolkits in the industry, with robust technology, asset integration, scale and competitive capabilities that enable it to address complex global issues. Dow's market-driven, industry-leading portfolio of advanced materials, industrial intermediates, and plastics businesses deliver a broad range of differentiated technology-based products and solutions for customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, and consumer care. Dow is a subsidiary of DowDuPont (NYSE: DWDP), a holding company comprised of Dow and DuPont with the intent to form three strong, independent, publicly traded companies in agriculture, materials science and specialty sectors. www.dow.com