Annual Report 1998

36
Environment
CERTIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES
SCA’s forest management is certified through FSC. Prior to the end of the year 2000, all pulp and paper mills
will be certified in accordance with the European and international standards ISO 14001 and EMAS.
SCA applies the closed-loop philosophy to its operations and is
one of the world’s leading users of recycled fibers. However,
the production of large volumes of products results in emissions
and consumes energy. For SCA, it is important to reduce
the emission of substances which may affect the environment
and to reduce energy consumption as much as possible.
SCA’s total emissions to water and the air and in the form of
solid waste are shown in the table below.
SCA considers it a crucial task to satisfy the demands which
customers and the international community have with respect
to the effects on the environment linked to the Group’s production
processes and products. SCA plays an active role in the
technical development of more environmentally friendly products
and processes in various segments of its operations.
An important aspect of environmental commitment is providing
open and comprehensive information regarding the
Group’s operations and measures to reduce impact on the environment.
This environmental section of the annual report is
supplemented by a separate environmental report for the
Group, which is scheduled to be published before summer
1999.
Discharges from SCA’s plants
1,000 tons
Discharges to air
1998
NOX as NO2 ................................................................................. 6.3
SO2 .............................................................................................. 3.9
CO2 fossil ..................................................................................... 2,520
CO2 biogenous .............................................................................
Discharges to water
2,899
COD ............................................................................................. 57.2
AOX .............................................................................................
Landfill
0.019
Solid waste ................................................................................... 501
Byproducts from various energy forms not included. Vehicle transports excluded.
Environmental policy and strategy
SCA’s environmental policy:
• SCA shall assume responsibility for the environment.
• All decisions must include environmental considerations.
• Environmental responsibility shall be a natural aspect
of all operations.
• Information about SCA’s environmental efforts shall
be open and freely available.
• SCA’s environmental initiatives shall be characterized
by continuous improvement and review.
• SCA shall meet customer expectations of environmentally
sound products and actively disseminate
information aimed at stimulating demand for these
products.
SCA’s environmental policy and closed-loop concept
play a central role in SCA’s environmental strategy. The
aim is to reduce the utilization of nonrenewable and
nonrecoverable resources in SCA’s production and distribution,
both in terms of material and energy.
The amount of SCA environmental information on the
Internet increased dramatically during the year. In 1998, nearly
500 environmental questions were answered via the environmental
section of SCA’s website. Moreover, news covering
SCA’s environmental work is presented on the Internet. In addition,
SCA receives a large number of visitors every year, who
are shown the environmental aspects of forestry management
first hand and the inside of SCA’s plants.
Every year, SCA makes comprehensive investments to protect
the environment and to reduce energy consumption.
During the last five years, SCA has invested a total of SEK
2,500 M to reduce the Group’s emissions into the water and
the air. Examples of this type of investment are SEK 50 M for a
biological waste treatment plant at the mill in Obbola, Sweden
and SEK 95 M for measures to increase process and wastewater
treatment at the Hallein paper mill in Austria.
SCA PRODUCTS
Renewable materials such as wood, wood fiber and recyclable
fiber comprise 93% of SCA products. The remainder consists
of oil-based and inorganic material.
SCA Graphic Paper and SCA Fine Paper use a small percentage
of inorganic material in the form of clay and marble as
filler material and coating pigments to satisfy customer demands
for high paper product quality. The oil-based materials
are mainly used in high-absorption fluff products to enhance
quality and functionality. The use of these materials reduces
product weight and volume, thereby facilitating smaller packaging
sizes and more efficient transport.
CERTIFICATION OF OPERATIONS
SCA’s environmental efforts are a fundamental criteria for customers
choosing the Group’s products. It is therefore important
that SCA’s environmental endeavors are verified by a
third, independent and credible party, which is also able to indicate
areas where improvements can be made.
For these reasons, SCA has environmentally certified all
In 1998, SCA’s environmental efforts were based on
the following strategic objectives:
• To increase recovery activities within SCA and thus
further strengthen its position as a closed-loop company.
• To maintain the biological diversity of the Group’s
forests.
• To consolidate the credibility of the Group’s environmental
policy by continued implementation of certified
environmental management systems.
• To strengthen SCA’s environmental organization and
to increase environmental information.