Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, is moving closer to its goal of eliminating landfill waste from its production by 2030. In 2024, the company successfully utilized 95% of solid side streams, with only a small portion ending up in landfills.
Metsä Fibre repurposes wood-based waste, sludge, ashes, and lime fractions for various applications, including construction, landscaping, fertilizers, and energy production. A significant focus is on green liquor dregs, a by-product of pulp production, which is now replacing virgin raw materials like crushed rock and gravel in field structures. These dregs are also being explored as potential components in geopolymers to substitute concrete.
Metsä Fibre is advancing its circular economy efforts through a strategic R&D program aimed at developing new uses for side streams, including lignin, ashes, and sawdust. A key project is the construction of a lignin pilot plant at the Äänekoski bioproduct mill, in collaboration with ANDRITZ, to refine lignin for bio-based superplasticizers in concrete and gypsum applications. Veolia’s methanol refinery at the same site is expected to begin operations in 2025, further enhancing side stream valorization.
By continuing to innovate and collaborate with industry partners, Metsä Fibre is on track to achieve 100% utilization of production side streams and eliminate landfill waste within the next five years.
Source: Metsä Fibre
Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, specializes in pulp, sawn timber, and other bioproducts derived from northern wood, offering sustainable alternatives to fossil-based materials. In 2024, the company reported sales of EUR 2.3 billion, with around 1,500 employees. Metsä Group’s parent company, Metsäliitto Cooperative, is owned by more than 90,000 Finnish forest owners.
