UPM – MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF COLLABORATION FOR THE BALTIC SEA

Corporate Donation, Baltic Sea Commitment, Ship Waste Action

Common interests include chemical management and a circular economy for nutrients.

Removing cargo ship wastewater from the Baltic Sea

UPM is the first Finnish freight carrier to commit to BSAG’s Ship Waste Action initiative. Since spring 2022, UPM has been discharging wastewater from maritime shipping ashore where it can be reused.

This commitment is an important step forward as long as it remains legal to discharge wastewater from cargo ships into the sea. UPM influences the operations of several shipping companies, vessels and ports, and is also acting as a catalyst for other companies that use maritime transport.

Reusing recycled nutrients

UPM aims to utilise the nutrients from cargo ships’ wastewater in its own wastewater treatment plants, where it produces bioenergy for use in, for example, local district heating.

Although industrially manufactured nutrients are often used to treat wastewater in the forestry industry, UPM is aiming to obtain all of its nutrients in recycled format from local sources near its plants. Wastewater from cargo ships has now become a raw material for the company.

Chemical management and the potential of biochar

UPM and BSAG have previously cooperated on managing chemical usage and supporting biochar research. Several chemicals that UPM stopped using on its own initiative were later banned by law. UPM funded a study by the University of Helsinki on the suitability of biochar for filtering agricultural runoff.

UPM and BSAG’s collaboration began in 2010 and includes a significant donation to BSAG’s Baltic Sea action.

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UPM has been working with BSAG for more than 10 years. We’re already discussing the content of our fifth Baltic Sea Commitment. Our common interests include carbon sequestration, developing sustainable forestry, and nutrient recycling. Our successful collaboration is the reason both we and BSAG have managed to achieve our goals and improve our practices.
Sami Lundgren, VP Responsibility, UPM