Environmental protection in the Finnish pulp and paper industry in 2000

The main features of the debate on environmental protection in the Finnish forest industry last year were forest certification and conservation, climate and energy policy, the impacts of various EU directives, and how manufacturers should translate into practice their responsibilities to society. A new environmental protect ion act came into force in Finland in 2000. The new Legislation is based on an EU directive requiring industrial plants to consider all their impacts on the environment. The summary of emissions from Finland's forest industry plants, now published for the 11(th) time, shows that the Finnish system works well (article on pages 234-239). Quite apart from legislation, the transparency of Finnish manufacturers' operations, the proper interpretation of social responsibility, and market forces have combined to help reduce total emissions despite a concurrent increase in the volume of production. The decline in emissions of nutrients and of chlorinated compounds to receiving waters has been particularly noticeable. Apart from a marginal rise in nitrogen oxide emissions from chemical pulping, emissions to air have also fallen. On the other hand, nitrogen oxide emissions from energy generation were well down, as were malodorous sulphur emissions from mills. Many of the waste fractions arising from pulp and paper production can be utilized and strictly speaking should not be referred to as waste. Something like 70% is actually collected and used. The rate for wood-based material is as high as 97%, while of all waste paper and board collected, 99% was re-used as raw material. The waste taken to landfill sites is largely ash, soda dregs and lime sludge. Ways are being studied of using these materials, too. In 2000, the Finnish forest. industry invested a coral of almost EUR 88 million in environmental protection at pulp and paper mills. This represents 10% of the pulp and paper industry's coral investment in Finland last year. The main focus was on improving water pollution control (EUR 36 million), followed by air pollution control (EUR 29 million). In terms of waste management (EUR 19.6 million), the emphasis was on reducing volumes of landfill waste and on more efficient sorting. Other environment-related expenditure totalled EUR 61 million, while energy taxes were EUR 109 million. By the beginning of April 2001, 38 pulp and paper mills had certified environmental management systems, and 14 of these were also EMAS registered. Environmental management systems are currently being sec up at four other mills. A similar system has been devised for energy generation.