Metsä Board Magazine / Wallpaper stories

SPECIAL EDITION 1/2015

WALLPAPER STORIES

CONTENTS

6 NEWS

NON-WOVEN PRODUCTS

Metsä Board in short.

Kyrö mill is where the magic of wallpaper base happens.

4 EDITORIAL A familiar man is back.

3 10 THE CRESTA RANGE ... is made for all printing and converting processes.

WALLPAPER STORIES

12 CHERISING NATURE Looking after ecological health of forests.

14 KEEPING UP APPEARANCES Anstey uses different techniques for different needs.

21 GREEN BONUS FOR CUSTOMERS The biopower plant halved the carbon footprint of Kyro mill’s products.

18 ON THE NORDIC WALLS WallVision has a well managed process for developing new collections.

17 ENSURING SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN Metsä Board aims at transparency.

METSÄ BOARD MAGAZINE Special Edition 1/2015 magazine.metsaboard.com magazine@metsagroup.com ISSN 2323-5500

Publisher: Metsä Board Communications P.O. Box 20 FI-02020 METSÄ, Finland www.metsaboard.com

Production: Tytti Hämäläinen Graphic design: Emilia Ahonen, Maikki Rantala

Editor-in-chief: Juha Laine, vice president, investor relations and communications Managing editor: Tytti Hämäläinen Editorial board: Helen Cooke, Olli Haaranoja, Tytti Hämäläinen, Juha Laine, Ritva Mönkäre

This special edition of Metsä Board Magazine is published in English.

Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Metsä Board.

PAPER TRAIL – WHAT WE ARE MADE OF Cover: Carta Integra 210 g/m2 Interior: Galerie Art Silk 130 g/m2

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My history with Metsä Board and the Kyro mill is long. As a 16-year-old, my first summer job was as mill messenger. Since then I have worked as mill manager, the head of the paperboard business area, and, since October 2014, as the CEO of Metsä Board. Kyröskoski and the mill have always had a special place in my heart, and I know the town, the mill, the machines, the wallpaper base business and our customers very well. I’ve met quite a few of you personally, either when getting to know your business or meeting you at fairs like Heimtextil.

After two years as CEO of Metsä Tissue, I rejoined Metsä Board, a company that is still very familiar and yet which has been renewed in a fascinating way. Metsä Board has gone through significant restructuring, transforming itself from Europe’s largest fine paper company into the leading producer of fresh forest fibre paperboard. I’m delighted to have returned to a strong company that has excellent growth potential in Europe, North America and Asia.

We are searching for stronger growth in our folding boxboard and fresh forest fibre linerboard businesses. Replacing traditional packaging materials with Metsä Board’s paperboards is an excellent way for companies to enhance their global sustainability. Even though we are focusing our current investments on increasing our folding boxboard capacity, the wallpaper business has not been forgotten. Metsä Board has invested in Kyro mill and its development significantly over the years. These investments include the renewal of the wallpaper base machine in 2002 and the Kyro biopower plant in 2012. The wallpaper machine is in good shape, and we’ve been able to devote more and more time to development projects.

THANKS TO OUR LONGTERM AND GOOD-QUALITY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS, WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP THE KYRO MILL

Metsä Board is striving to be the quality leader.

We have the world’s best wood raw material and pulp production at our disposal. Our fibre know-how and production competence are already top class, but there’s still plenty we can improve. It’s important to cooperate with our customers and partners to discover new ways of further improving the quality and sustainability of our products. Innovations are needed, and together we will create the environment and operating model that will keep us both – our customers and Metsä Board – in pole position. Without long-term and good-quality customer relationships, the Kyro mill’s machine and wallpaper base products couldn’t have been developed.

I look forward to continuing this work together.

Mika Joukio CEO

WALLPAPER STORIES The news

Text: TYTTI HÄMÄLÄINEN Photos: METSÄ BOARD

METSÄ BOARD RECOGNISED

BY CDP A

high score indicates that a company provides robust climate-change related data, with only ten per cent of companies that report to CDP being awarded a position in the CDLI. This shows they have provided a high level of transparency in their disclosure of climate-change related information.

“We’re delighted to have gained such a high score for our data submission and that it has helped us win a place in the Nordic CDLI. It’s a tribute to the commitment of everyone within Metsä Board. Sustainability lies at the heart of our organisation, and this result will motivate us to increase our efforts in the future,” says Mika Joukio, CEO. Metsä Board has been reporting to CDP since 2007. The company achieved a significant

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Metsä Board was honoured to be awarded a position in the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) Nordic Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI). Metsä Board achieved an excellent score of 98 out of 100 for the depth and quality of the climate change data it discloses to investors and the global marketplace.

increase in its CDP score from last year’s result of 82. Environmental Manager Satu Pahkala says that the company implemented a project specifically aimed at improving its reporting.

“We have made significant reductions in our CO2 emissions and have systematically improved the energy efficiency of our mills.

Our group-level targets and sustainability agenda support our strategy, target and governance reporting. We also put a great deal of effort into disclosing our risks and opportunities related to climate change issues.”

METSÄ BOARD GROWS ITS PAPERBOARD BUSINESS

M

etsä Board’s strategy is profitable growth in fresh forest fibre paperboards and exit from the declining paper businesses. Metsä Board has introduced the final steps of the transformation to a paperboard company and invests approximately EUR 170 million in a new folding boxboard machine at its Husum mill in Sweden. Metsä Board also plans new measures to eliminate losses of its Gohrsmühle mill in Germany.

“These final steps allow us to grow significantly our core business and exit the weak paper production. Demand for our sustainable, safe and cost-competitive folding boxboards and linerboards is growing nicely, recently especially in North America,” comments CEO Mika Joukio.

In order to continue the growth, Metsä Board must increase folding boxboard production capacity.

“After extensive planning work, we have decided to invest in the new folding boxboard machine at Husum.

It’s our biggest mill integrate including a large two line pulp mill, state of art coating technology, an efficient power plant, and own harbor. This is a very cost-competitive alternative to increase our capacity.” Also the Husum’s linerboard volumes will be clearly increased in the coming years. Husum becomes one of the leading fresh forest fibre paperboard mills in Europe.

Metsä Board has also renewed its management and reporting structure to strengthen its market leadership and secure successful implementation of the new growth steps.

From the first quarter of 2015 onwards, Metsä Board’s reporting segments are Paperboard and Non-core operations. Paperboard segment includes folding boxboard, fresh forest fibre linerboard, wallpaper base and market pulp businesses. Non-core operations include Husum’s standard paper business and Gohrsmühle mill’s cast coated and label paper businesses.

PAPER PROFILES ARE UPDATED ANNUALLY

A

Paper Profile is a standardised tool for paper and board products that is used to communicate key environmental parameters such as emissions, electricity, waste and composition. Metsä Board updates its Paper Profiles for all its grades on a yearly basis.

The most recent update included the addition of the following to supplementary sheets: Information about the origin of wood specified by species and their proportions, as well as sourced country (in accordance with the EU Timber Regulation and the US Lacey Act) Our energy efficiency targets and progress Commitment to CO2 emission reduction Paper Profiles for individual products can be found at metsaboard.com under the respective product specifications.

RIIKKA JOUKIO ELECTED TO PEFC BOARD

T

he General Assembly of the forest certification organisation PEFC International has elected Riikka Joukio, SVP, Sustainability at Metsä Group to its Board of Directors for the term 2014–2017. Joukio was nominated by the Nordic PEFC organisations and also supported by the national organisations of the UK and the Netherlands.

PEFC’s Board of Directors supports the work of the General Assembly and the organisation as a whole. Looking forward to the next five years, PEFC strives to further strengthen its positive contribution towards safeguarding the world’s forest resources, particularly through better utilisation of the decentralised nature of the organisation.

“The use of certified wood shows our customers that Metsä Group and the entire supply chain are dedicated to the sustainable use of forests,” says Joukio. “As a member of the Board, I have a key position in enhancing sustainable forest management and promoting PEFC in the market.”

PEFC (the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification.

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WALLPAPER STORIES The mill

Text: SÖREN BACK Photos: SARA PIHLAJA

FOCUS ON

NON-WOVEN PRODUCTS

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NON-WOVEN WALLPAPERS ARE GAINING MARKET SHARE THANKS TO THE FACT THAT THEY’RE SO EASY TO PUT UP. METSÄ BOARD’S KYRO MILL IS FULLY FOCUSED ON SERVING THE GROWING MARKET.

ven though it took us a little time to fully appreciate the strong consumer interest in non-woven based wallpapers, we’re now focused on serving this rapidly growing market segment while continuing to serve the traditional segments,” says Olli Haaranoja, vice president for the Kyro Wallpaper business unit. “The fact that we’re now a separate business unit also means that the management fully supports our wallpaper business.”

The wallpaper market is fairly stable. On a global level about 700 million reels are produced annually, which is equivalent to about

3.4 billion square metres of wallpaper. Kyro Wallpaper’s share of the global market is about 25 per cent, meaning that approximately one in every four reels produced starts life in Finland, in Kyro mill’s specialised wallpaper base machine.

“We are the global market leader and we produce wallpaper base for all kinds of papers using our specially designed machine,” Haa­ ranoja continues.

“In a way, we are part of the fashion industry and all that comes with it. Colours and designs vary not only from year to year, but also during the year, and wallpaper

“On the global scale, one in every four wallpaper reels are produced in Metsä Board’s Kyro mill,” says Olli Haaranoja, the vice president of Kyro Wallpaper.

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WALLPAPER STORIES The mill

manufacturers are launching new collections more frequently than ever.”

Some consumers want luxury wallpapers, with the corresponding price tag, whereas others are looking for the cheapest possible products. “Different designs set different requirements for the printing technology to be used. Preferences and trends vary greatly between markets, and we have to be able to meet the needs of customers, professional decorators and consumers alike. For this reason Cresta, the brand for all our wallpaper base products, has a wide-ranging portfolio suitable for different printing technologies such as screen, flexo, gravure and digital printing, as well as for different hanging methods.”

“In Kyro we manufacture both singlelayer wallpaper base and double-layer base that uses different pulp combinations. The base paper of the single-layer product mainly consists of mechanical pulp and is used for embossed and textured PVC-coated wallpapers. To produce peelable wallpapers, the base paper is produced with two layers consisting of different pulps – the back of mechanical pulp and the top of chemical pulp. To achieve good printability and light fastness, we have products with one, two or even three coated top layers.”

Haaranoja. “Fibre behaves in the same way when it absorbs moisture, for example from wallpaper glue.

Therefore, irrespective of the type of wallpaper, the dimensional stability and wet-strength properties are of utmost importance. For this reason, all Cresta products are heavily stock sized.”

For the growing paste-the-wall segment, nonwoven base is needed as the wallpapers must not expand once they have been hung. Metsä Board has developed two products designed for this purpose: Cresta NG2S and Cresta NGX. The wallpaper base for these products is made with two layers consisting of a mixture of chemical pulp and synthetic fibres to guarantee that the wallpaper doesn’t expand when pasted on the wall.

“Cresta NG2S is triple-coated and strippable, and has been specially developed for flexo and gravure printed wall coverings. Cresta NGX is a double-layer, strippable non-woven wallpaper base that is coated on both sides. Specially developed for PVC coating and rotary screen printing, it has extremely high opacity and heat resistance. With the Cresta product range we are able to meet the needs of the paste-the-wall segment,” Haaranoja stresses.

Apart from dimensional stability, properties like curl and fibre direction are very important as they influence the wallpaper’s behaviour when it’s being hung. The wallpaper must have good wet strength and be flat, even when the reverse side is covered with paste or makes contact with the pre-pasted wall.

FIBRES ARE LIKE HUMANS

“In a way, a cellulose fibre is like a human being – the more we eat and drink, the more we swell in our cross direction,” says

BAD OPACITY GIVES A BAD IMPRESSION

Everyone who has hung wallpaper knows that the last thing you want to happen is for the previous layer to be visible through the new one. This is where the opacity of the wallpaper base is critical.

“CONSISTENCY IS A CRITICAL PARAMETER. WALLPAPER ROLLS FROM DIFFERENT PRODUCTION BATCHES MUST HAVE THE SAME SHADE AND BRIGHTNESS.” – OLLI HAARANOJA

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During the manufacturing process many different properties are measured and controlled in the paper machine to guarantee consistent quality. In addition, certain wallpaper-specific properties, such as hangability, light fastness, printability and washability, are part of comprehensive quality control.

“Consistency is a critical parameter,” Haaranoja says. “Consumers should be able to rely on the fact that they can buy wallpaper rolls originating from different production batches but still get the same shade and brightness. This is especially important when they need to buy additional rolls to complete a wall or renew a worn or damaged section.”

Wallpaper is a consumer product, which means that the associated environmental issues are becoming increasingly important to many people. “Environmental issues cover anything from forestry practices and the origin of the wood to the way we minimise the environmental influence of our processes and the chemicals we use in the manufacture of Cresta products,” Haaranoja points out. “In order to provide consumers with clear environmental data about our products, we have collected the data into Paper Profile documents that can be downloaded from our website.”

“We’ve talked a great deal about wallpaper types, properties and applications, but for our customers, the wallpaper manufacturers, service and availability are equally as important. I can say with confidence that our sales and technical services network is second to none. It helps us maintain our position as the market leader and stay close to all our customers,” Haaranoja concludes.

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WALLPAPER STORIES The range

FOR ALL TYPES OF WALLCOVERINGS Metsä Board’s Cresta grades enable the creation of visually appealing wallcoverings for all printing and converting processes.

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CRESTA M

CRESTA MB

single-layer mechanical wallpaper base for all PVC coating methods as well as flexo and surface printing

bulky single-layer mechanical wallpaper base for all PVC coating methods as well as flexo and surface printing

KEY FEATURES • Excellent formation • Good dimensional stability • Consistent colour shade

KEY FEATURES • Excellent formation • Good dimensional stability • Consistent colour shade

MAIN BENEFITS • Efficient runnability, even PVC coating results, good PVC adhesion • Trouble-free hanging, invisible seams • Enables batchless production

MAIN BENEFITS • Efficient runnability, even PVC coating results, good PVC adhesion • Trouble-free hanging, invisible seams • Enables batchless production

Recommended for: • in-register embossed vinyl wallcoverings • fully coated textured vinyl wallcoverings • chemical-embossed vinyl wallcoverings • vinyl coating for bookbinding materials • paper wallcoverings (higher grammages)

Recommended for: • in-register embossed vinyl wallcoverings • fully coated textured vinyl wallcoverings • chemical-embossed vinyl wallcoverings • vinyl coating for bookbinding materials • paper wallcoverings (higher grammages)

CRESTA D

CRESTA D1

CRESTA NGX

uncoated peelable and spongeable wallpaper base for surface, flexo and rotary screen printing

single-coated peelable and spongeable wallpaper base for surface, flexo and rotary screen printing

two-layer, fully coated strippable non-woven wallpaper base with synthetic fibres, especially for PVC coating and rotary screen printing

KEY FEATURES • Superior peelability • Consistent quality

KEY FEATURES • Good light fastness • Good printability • Superior peelability

KEY FEATURES • Outstanding formation and surface smoothess • Excellent light fastness • High opacity

MAIN BENEFITS • Easy removal • Performance boost in converting Recommended for: • expanded vinyl wallcoverings • paper wallcoverings (140 g/m2)

MAIN BENEFITS • Minimised yellowing effect on the wallpaper • Ideal for even the most demanding designs • Easy removal

MAIN BENEFITS • Allows PVC coating finish and good adhesion • Minimised yellowing effect on the wallpaper • Maximised cover of the walls

Recommended for: • expanded vinyl wallcoverings • paper wallcoverings (150 g/m2)

Recommended for: • paste-the-wall wallcoverings

CRESTA D OBA

CRESTA D2

CRESTA NG2S

uncoated peelable and spongeable OBAcontaining wallpaper base especially for rotary screen printing

double-coated peelable and washable wallpaper base for surface, flexo, gravure, digital and rotary screen printing

triple-coated strippable non-woven wallpaper base with synthetic fibres, especially for flexo and gravure printing

KEY FEATURES • Excellent surface properties • Well-balanced smoothness • Good light fastness

KEY FEATURES • Outstanding surface smoothness • Excellent light fastness • High opacity

KEY FEATURES • State-of-the-art printability • Excellent light fastness • Maximum opacity

MAIN BENEFITS • Excellent foam expansion and PVC adhesion • Ideal for pre-printing, even with inks containing pearlescent pigments • Minimised yellowing effect on the wallpaper

MAIN BENEFITS • Ideal for even the most demanding designs • Minimised yellowing effect on the wallpaper • Maximised cover of the walls

MAIN BENEFITS • Ideal for even the most demanding designs • Minimised yellowing effect on the wallpaper • Maximised cover of the walls

Recommended for: • expanded vinyl wallcoverings with gravure pre-prints • paper wallcoverings

Recommended for: • paste-the-wall wallcoverings

Recommended for: • expanded vinyl wallcoverings

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WALLPAPER STORIES The forests

MEASURES TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY ARE DEEPLY INTEGRATED INTO FORESTRY PLANNING AND WOOD SUPPLY PRACTICES ACROSS METSÄ GROUP. THIS IS REINFORCED

BY THE CERTIFICATIONS SYSTEMS.

CHERISHING Text: FRAN WEAVER Photos: METSÄ BOARD

L

ooking after the ecological health of forests is a vital issue for major paper and board producers, for both ethical and business reasons. “Forests are renewable resources, so we have to take good care of them to ensure we can still use them in the future,” says Riikka Joukio, senior vice president of Metsä Group’s sustainability and corporate affairs.

“Especially here in Northern Europe, we value our forest roots and want to keep forests naturally healthy. In Finland, forests cover 75 per cent of the land, and we also use them for recreational activities like walking, hunting and picking berries and mushrooms.”

MANY LEVELS OF PROTECTION

Almost three quarters of Metsä Group’s wood comes from forests in Finland.

“Forest biodiversity is protected at different levels in Finland, starting on the largest scale with the many valuable forest areas protected by the state. The share of forests under strict protection is much higher here than elsewhere in Europe,” explains Metsä Board’s sustainability manager Minna Kantsila.

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“Most other forests belong to small-scale forest owners, including many who supply us with wood,” she adds. Such owners can protect ecologically diverse parts of their own forest and receive compensation for lost income through the METSO Forest Biodiversity Programme.

“Our field personnel make forestry management plans with forest owners and advise them about this option wherever they notice that forests have ecological features that make them eligible for the scheme,” explains Kantsila.

HARVESTING WITH CARE

Even in areas where wood is harvested, great care is taken to protect features with rich biodiversity. “Through our annual environmental programmes for wood supply we provide training for everyone from wood purchasers to harvesting machine operators, helping them recognise ecologically valuable features and avoid damaging them,” says Joukio.

Progress on protecting forest biodiversity is regularly assessed both internally within Metsä Group and by the authorities and official auditors for the environmental management and forest certification systems the company works under.

LOOKING AFTER BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS Certain forest features are especially important for biodiversity. Forest planners and harvesters are trained to identify and protect these features in areas where wood can still be sustainably harvested.

• Decaying wood: Fallen logs and dead standing trees are left to provide homes for rare fungi, insects and birds.

• Hardwood trees: Ecologically valuable hardwood tree species are purposefully spared during logging in mixed forests.

• Water features: Great care is taken to avoid damaging the soil and vegetation around small streams, springs and marshes.

• Key habitats and species: Areas with diverse habitats such as old-growth forest, herb-rich woodland and tree stands where protected birds nest, are carefully spared.

• Protective buffer zones: Strips of forest alongside streams, lakes, rivers or marshes are designated protected to preserve water resources and maintain green corridors for wildlife.

NATURE “In Finland, 98 per cent of commercially utilised forests are covered by PEFC forest certification – the highest figure of any country in the world – with only less than five per cent certified according to the FSC scheme. As said, the majority of Finnish forests are owned by families, and to them, certifying with PEFC has been the most suitable certification scheme. In comparison to high Finnish certification levels, globally less than ten per cent of all forests are certified according to one of the existing standards,” says Joukio.

In 2013, 82 per cent of Metsä Group’s wood supply came from certified forests in Finland and around the Baltic Sea. These high levels of forest certification give Metsä Board’s customers a welcome opportunity to use environmental labelling on their products. In addition, all wood used by Metsä Group is covered by a thorough chain of custody scheme from the forest to the mill. Metsä Board has both PEFC and FSC chain-of-custodies as well as FSC controlled wood status. Therefore we are able to sell all our wallpaper bases certified.

“This means our customers can be assured that we’re a responsible supplier, and that all the wood that goes into

our products – and theirs – comes from sustainably managed forests where biodiversity is carefully considered,” says Riikka Joukio.

Metsä Group wants to be involved in the development of sustainable forestry standards and offer its customers as wide a selection of certified products as possible. To do this Metsä Groups has actively participated in the development of forestry certification, and Riikka Joukio has been selected by ​the General Assembly of the PEFC International as a member of the Board of Directors for the term 2014–2017.

“Of course, from a sustainability point of view, both PEFC and FSC are equally robust systems that prove the sustainable origin of our products,” says Riikka Joukio.

The certification systems and forest management programmes have had their effect; Kantsila says that the latest redlist survey of Finland’s threatened species reflects the positive impacts of forest conservation.

“The status of many forest species has improved over the 15 years we’ve been using these nature management measures,” she says. “That proves that they really work!”

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WALLPAPER STORIES The customer | Anstey

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES Text: PAT HUMPHREYS and CHARLIE BASS Photos: ANSTEY

Anstey, an English contract printer of high-quality wall coverings with customers in America and Europe, produces some 2,000 new wallpapers every year – sometimes from very old designs. Magazine spoke to managing director Alan Slater to find out more about their printing techniques and relationship with Metsä Board.

“W

e use a lot of different techniques, including flexo, gravure and digital, among others, and I see a future for all of them. Take surface printing: It was the first mechanised way of making wall coverings, invented around 100 years ago, but the style is still unique.”

There are three main types of wall covering: paper, non-woven synthetic, and PVC. Regardless of the medium, Anstey’s long history in the business and deep knowledge of printing techniques means it’s able to provide customers with expert advice on how to achieve the result they’re looking for.

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At Anstey, they catch consumers’ attention with design, colour and production technique. The company has invested steadily in new manufacturing methods – not forgetting the older ones.

“Our customers show us their designs and we tell them the best technique for realising them,” says Alan Slater, the managing director of Anstey. “If it’s a fine, almost photographic design, we’d probably recommend gravure or digital, but for a hand-painted look, surface printing might be better. For the past few years, the trend in home decoration has been towards the decorative, so wallpaper is in demand. We specialise in the middle and top end of the market,” he continues.

The company has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with Metsä Board that has helped it deliver on its

promises to customers. And with consistently high-quality raw materials and mastery of a wide range of production techniques, Anstey can continue in its quest to delight the discerning consumer.

“Metsä Board is our biggest supplier of wallpaper base. The main thing in our business is to deliver consistent quality on time. We have always received very good quality and service,” Alan emphasises. “Wallpaper needs to capture consumer interest. Fashionconscious people want to refresh their homes every two to three years. We catch their attention with design, colour

and production technique, and we have invested steadily in new manufacturing methods.”

Some of these new methods help Anstey to achieve a truly stunning finish for their wall covering designs, with reflective and tactile effects that deliver a real wow factor.

“We even have scatter machines to embellish wallpaper. The design is printed conventionally, but we then add very small plastic beads to selected areas. It gives the wallpaper a lightreflecting quality and also a tactile effect. Looking forward, our customers are starting to favour embossing again.

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“OUR CUSTOMERS SHOW US THEIR DESIGNS AND WE TELL THEM THE BEST TECHNIQUE FOR REALISING THEM.”

However, technology has changed since embossing was last in fashion because lasers can now be used to engrave the rolls, which improves quality and detail.”

As well as employing the latest technology to achieve a unique look and feel, Anstey can still look to the tried-and-tested techniques of the past to fulfil a customer’s requirements – even if it does take a little longer to deliver the final product.

“Occasionally we get orders from the distant past! We still have the wooden blocks used to hand print the original William Morris designs. With this technique an order for 20 rolls of wallpaper might take us four weeks to produce.”

Fashion-conscious people want to refresh their homes every two to three years. That’s why the selection of wallpapers needs to be vast.

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WALLPAPER STORIES The supply chain

JANI SUOMALAINEN Vice president, purchasing Metsä Board

ENSURING A SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN ETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES ARE THE FOUNDATION OF METSÄ BOARD’S PURCHASING OPERATIONS. THIS HELPS OUR CUSTOMERS, AS IT’S ALSO THEIR INTEREST TO KNOW THE WHOLE CHAIN. BUT WHAT DOES A SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN MEAN FOR US?

1.

How do you ensure that Metsä Board’s supply chain is both ethical and sustainable?

We buy goods and services from reliable suppliers who are willing to adhere to our Supplier Code of Conduct. We also use renewable and traceable raw materials whenever possible. Additionally, more than 90 per cent of Metsä Board’s raw materials come from Finnish suppliers. This reduces our risks and carbon footprint.

2.

How do you do this in practice?

We do risk mappings based, for example, on the origin of the raw material or on the likelihood of environmental or social problems in the supplier’s home country. In addition, we also have an internal supplier rating tool whereby we rank our suppliers against numerous demanding criteria.

Moreover, regular audits are performed to ensure that our suppliers’ operations are continuously improving. The Supplier Code of Conduct is attached to all new contracts.

3.

Why do you put so much emphasis on ensuring a sustainable supply chain?

First and foremost, we want to be prepared for the potential risks, and of course we always want to minimise risks systematically. For us, it’s crucial that our suppliers are reliable and operate in an ethical manner.

We also strive to increase transparency throughout all our operations, and therefore we do business only with suppliers we know.

As many of them are long-term partners, we also know many of their suppliers. If there are gaps between actual performance and our criteria, we help our supplier to make the required changes.

A sustainable and ethical supply chain lowers risks and means our operations run smoothly.

Ultimately this translates into reduced costs and a good brand reputation.

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WALLPAPER STORIES The customer | WallVision

According to Fredrik Larsson, WallVision has more than 30 collections with some 2,000 wallpaper articles out in the market.

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Text: SÖREN BACK Photos: PETER ANDERSSON

WALLVISION

COVERS MOST WALLS IN THE

NORDIC COUNTRIES Borås is the wallpaper capital in Sweden and home of Wallvision’s wallcovering brands. The company is the market leader in the Nordic markets and EasyUp is their brand for paste-thewall products, now dominating the product portfolio.

“O

ur product range has exploded during the last decade,” says Fred­rik Larsson, plant manager for the wallpaper plant in Borås. “In 1985 we had three wallpaper collections with 150 to 200 wallpaper articles altogether.

Today we have more than 30 collections with some 2,000 wallpaper articles out in the market. We have four product brands aimed at different parts of the market; Boråstapeter, Cole & Son, Eco Wallpaper and Mr Perswall.”

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“IN ONE PRODUCT LINE WE OFFER BOTH A PAPER AND A NON-WOVEN VERSION. AT EVERY LAUNCH CUSTOMERS PREFER THE NONWOWEN EASYUP.”

“Every year we launch around three collections in each brand and the whole process from idea to market takes about one year. That’s why we must have a controlled and well managed process for developing new collections. In one product line we offer both a paper and a nonwoven version and at every launch of these collections fewer customers choose to take the paper based version, preferring to select just EasyUp. The result has been that all WallVision’s consumer products and about 70 per cent of wallpapers for the professional market are now EasyUp products. The brand name is really clever as it describes in one word the advantages with this way of wallpapering. The products are easy to put up and stronger, plus the end result is better as the product looks seamless on the wall and withstands spots and mechanical abrasion better.

“We have had good cooperation with Metsä Board Kyro for many years,” Fredrik Larsson continues. “WallVision was one of their first customers for non-woven wallpaper base. For our EasyUp wallcoverings we use Kyro’s Cresta

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NG2 and NG120 products as they perform very well in our production lines and meet the requirements of our customers. In our fastest production line we can produce more than 10,000 wallpaper rolls per day, which demands a high and consistent base paper quality.”

“As we can print digitally we offer consumers the opportunity to create personalised wallcovering, for example based on a photo taken by themselves. The design is adjusted to the size of the wall and delivered as wallpaper rolls. When pasted to the wall, the customer has got their own unique wall. This business is growing and we have invested in two digital printers specifically to care for this segment.

So, if none of our 2,000 wallpaper articles or our wide selection of digital designs fits the customer’s vision, they can always create their own design,” Fredrik Larsson ends.

In their fastest production line, WallVision can produce more than 10,000 wallpaper rolls per day, which demands a high and consistent base paper quality.

WALLPAPER STORIES The biopower plant

A MAJOR BIOMASS BOILER IS RUNNING AT METSÄ BOARD’S KYRO MILL. IT HALVED THE TOTAL CARBON FOOTPRINT OF THE MILL’S FOLDING BOXBOARD AND WALLPAPER BASE PRODUCTION. Text: FRAN WEAVER Photos: SARA PIHLAJA

GREEN BONUS FOR CUSTOMERS

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yro mill’s biomass boiler looms high over the long, low building that houses the mill’s folding boxboard and wallpaper production lines.

A continuous stream of chipped bark and logging residues rises through a series of covered conveyors to the top of this impressive tower of biopower.

“Steam from the new boiler now provides about 55 megawatts of heat energy – enough for the mill’s needs and to warm more than 200 homes and workplaces in a local district heating system,” explains Tero Siltanen, power plant project manager.

“The steam is also fed into our existing steam turbine where it generates a further 12 megawatts of electricity for the mill.”

A key outcome of the eur 50 million boiler investment is the 100,000 tonne reduction in annual carbon dioxide emissions. Emissions at Kyro mill are now about a quarter of previous levels. “It’s very important for us that the new boiler reduces the total carbon footprint of our products by more than one half,” says Timo Tuomisto, mill manager for Kyro.

THIRST FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

“Our customers are certainly becoming more aware of environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions. They are increasingly asking us for details of the impacts of our products, and we’re happy to provide such information,” says Tuomisto.

“The big advantage for us is that we can now generate heat and power using wood biomass obtained from local sources through Metsä Group’s supply chains, instead of using natural gas piped all the way from Russia,” says Siltanen. The boiler’s fuel delivery bay receives about twenty truckloads of chipped biomass daily, consisting of bark from the mill’s logdebarking plant and logging residues such as crushed tree stumps, treetops and branches harvested within a radius of 100 kilometres.

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“Our customers are becoming more aware of environmental issues and asking us for details of the impacts of our products. We’re happy to provide such information,” say Tero Siltanen (left) and Timo Tuomisto.

FUN FACTS

Siltanen is proud that this shift to bioenergy has gone smoothly. “Since we began pre-engineering work, it took only two years to get the boiler up and running. Burning biomass is quite different from burning gas, due to greater variations in fuel properties like water content. Because of this we’ve had to learn a lot about how to use biomass fuel effectively, but we’ve been able to keep the mill rolling throughout the changeover. Our employees also needed special

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Two thirds of the fuel used by the plant is wood biomass, locally sourced from within a 100-kilometre radius.

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training for the new fuel-feeding system, but it helped that we were able to go and see a similar system already operating at our Äänekoski mill.”

The bioboiler has a peak capacity of 80 megawatts. Its bubbling fluidised bed system represents the best technology available. The boiler’s flue gases are treated using fabric filters, a calcium spraying system and a selective non-catalytic reduction system, to curb emissions of particles as well as nitrogen and

The other third is made up of sawdust and bark.

The wood biomass is preferred because it generates more heat when burned.

When burning biomass, the heat of the combustion gas inside the boiler can reach up to 1,300 °C.

sulphur oxides. Ash from the boiler will be stored for future use in construction and landscaping.

The biomass mix fed into the boiler also includes small quantities of biosludge from the mill’s wastewater treatment plant. This innovation produces useful renewable energy from a residual material previously seen as waste, further helping to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

The Kyro biopower plant is in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, controlled by two people at a time.

While one operator runs the plant from the control room, the other walks through the plant.

One round takes about two hours – that’s how big the site is.

GOING FOR GREEN ENERGY ACROSS METSÄ GROUP Metsä Board’s increasing use of wood-based bioenergy is part of a wider effort to utilise renewable energy sources throughout Metsä Group.

“A strong focus on biomass is logical for a forest industry company. Biomass accounts for about 83 per cent of our total fuel use today – this is already a very high figure, and we’re striving to exploit all viable opportunities to increase it,” explains Ilkka Latvala, senior vice president of energy at Metsä Group.

Following a major investment completed in 2011 to boost bioenergy production at Metsä Board’s Husum mill, the new boiler at Kyro enabled a further significant reduction in the company’s fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions. Considerable investments in green energy production have also been made in other parts of Metsä Group, including a new biogas production plant completed at Metsä Fibre’s Joutseno mill.

The biggest investment is still yet to be decided: Metsä Group is also preparing to build a bioproduct mill in Äänekoski which will contribute to achieving renewable energy targets in Finland through increasing the share of renewable energy by approximately two percentage points.

“The mill will not use any fossil-based fuels; all of the energy required for it will be generated from wood. The wood raw material and side streams will be utilised 100 per cent as products and bioenergy.”

Latvala adds that the Group-wide target is that by 2020 our carbon dioxide emissions will be 30 per cent lower per product tonne than in 2009.

Progress towards these targets is tracked across Metsä Group. Mills are increasingly providing customers with carbon footprint figures for specific products. Such efforts are welcomed by customers keen to monitor the sustainability of their suppliers.

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