Suominen’s carbon footprint information help customers make informed decisions

Many of the biggest global challenges and concerns of our time are related to environmental issues, such as the very topical marine plastic pollution problem, and climate change. As consumer awareness and concern about these issues continues to grow, it is impacting their buying behavior – and increasing the demand for more sustainable solutions. This creates market opportunities for companies that are able to address these challenges and meet the demand for sustainable products and solutions – such as sustainable nonwovens.

Sustainability is embedded in Suominen’s new strategy, with Sustainability leadership as one of the five strategic focus areas. As part of the work to renew our business strategy, we also revised our sustainability agenda to fully support the achievement of the sustainability and growth targets stated in our vision and strategy. The agenda defines the development of more sustainable nonwovens as an area on which Suominen will put added focus.

Open dialogue concerning environmental impacts

It is important for us to have an open dialogue with our customers concerning the environmental impacts of different nonwovens, including their greenhouse gas emissions.  

“Our customers want to meet the growing demand for more sustainable products. This desire also steers their choice of nonwovens and other materials they use in their own production and that is why they are seeking reliable and objective information about the environmental impacts of our products. One way that we are serving customers in this is by producing product-specific carbon footprint calculations,� explains Sustainability Specialist Minna Päällysaho.

Making customers’ decisions easier with our carbon footprint calculations

A carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout a product’s value chain. Greenhouse gases are generated in the different production phases of the value chain, in transportation, and in the latter part of the value chain when a product is used and finally disposed.

“We are conducting calculations of how much greenhouse gases are emitted in the production of different nonwovens – from cradle to our factory gate – and offer this information to our customers. Our customers can utilize this information when they are choosing the most suitable nonwoven for their purposes and, for example, addressing the changing demand they encounter,� Päällysaho says.

The carbon footprints are only the first step. Suominen also has plans to make the other environmental impacts of its products readily accessible to its customers.