Press release submitted on behalf of Metsä Board
Metsä Board’s recent comparative life cycle assessment* compared the carbon footprint of berry trays made from three different materials: MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB, PET and recycled R-PET. The study included both biogenic carbon sequestration and biogenic carbon emissions, and it was verified by two independent reviewers from RISE and SimaPro UK. The cradle-to-grave study covered multiple end-of-life scenarios, such as regional recycling and full incineration.
Under the U.S. end-of-life scenario**, the carbon footprint of a berry tray made of MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB was shown to be negative for the studied life cycle – meaning that more carbon, expressed as CO₂ equivalents, was bound in the paperboard’s fibres than was released during the processes of the first life cycle. The carbon footprint of the PET tray was 0.065 kg CO2e, and for the R-PET tray 0.033 kg CO2e. When the end-of-life scenario was 100% incineration, the carbon footprint of a berry tray made of MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB was 87% lower than that of a tray made of R-PET.
“When comparing end-of-life impacts, both PET plastic and paperboard contain carbon, which forms carbon dioxide during incineration. The key difference is that paperboard’s emissions are balanced by the carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere during tree growth, while fossil-based plastics add new carbon to the atmosphere,” says Lari Oksala, Sustainability Manager at Metsä Board. “The recycling rate of paperboard packaging is higher than that of plastic packaging in the USA**, and recycling delays carbon release from the packaging material.”
“The highest total carbon footprint benefit is achieved when the packaging fulfills its primary function to protect the product inside. The packaging material must always be tested and selected according to the intended application,” says Marjo Halonen, VP Marketing, Communications and Sustainability at Metsä Board. “Our lightweight, fresh fibre paperboards are produced mainly with fossil-free energy, which further reduces the climate impact. Metsä Board is advancing towards its ambition of phasing out the use of fossil energy in its mills by 2030.”
*) The study was performed in accordance with ISO 14040, ISO 14044 and ISO 14067. The functional unit was a berry tray that met the necessary properties of stiffness, functionality, and moisture resistance. The selected system boundary for the study was cradle-to-grave and the selected climate change impact methodology was IPCC 2021 Climate Change: Total (incl. biogenic CO2). Climate change impacts for competing materials utilises data from Ecoinvent 3.10. The technical background report and the 3rd party verification statement are available on Metsä Board’s website.
**) EPA (US) 2018. The recycling rate for paper and cardboard packaging was 68.2%, 6.2% was combusted and 25.6% was landfilled. For plastic packaging, the recycling rate was 8.7%, 15.8% was combusted and 75.5% landfilled.”
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/documents/2018_ff_fact_sheet.pdf
About Metsä Board
Metsä Board is a producer of lightweight and high-quality folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners. The fresh wood fibres we use in our products are a renewable and recyclable resource, that can be traced back to Northern European forests. Our target is that by 2030 our mills will not use fossil-based energy. We promote a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion.
Metsä Board is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. In 2024 our sales totalled EUR 1.9 billion, and we have around 2,300 employees. Metsä Board is part of Metsä Group, whose parent company Metsäliitto Cooperative is owned by over 90,000 Finnish forest owners.