Environmental investments at Stora Enso's packaging site in Lahti, Finland, have eliminated the need for the facility to hold an environmental permit.
The City of Lahti's Building and Environmental Permit Committee revoked the site's environmental permit after a comprehensive assessment concluded that its operations no longer require such authorization.
"Continuous improvement is an important part of how we operate. Through targeted investments and close collaboration across the site, we have significantly reduced emissions, noise and wastewater impacts, while improving energy efficiency and environmental performance," said Ari Pöntinen, Interim Head of Corrugated Finland and Head of Business Unit Heinola at Stora Enso.
Targeted environmental investments
The most significant improvement involved steam production. At the beginning of 2025, the site replaced natural gas with electric steam boilers, reducing its direct greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70%.
The facility also invested in several noise reduction measures. During 2024, a noise enclosure was installed around the shredder unit, the waste pipeline leading to Stena Recycling was insulated, and a silencer was added to the exhaust system of the electric boilers.
Together, these measures have significantly reduced noise levels in the surrounding area.
Improved wastewater quality
Stora Enso has also enhanced wastewater quality by installing an ultrafiltration system that substantially reduces copper concentrations before wastewater is discharged into the municipal sewer network.
The Lahti site had historically operated under an open-ended environmental permit due to its location within a groundwater area and environmental impacts regulated under Finland's Neighbour Relations Act.
The company said it will continue working to further reduce its environmental footprint, improve resource efficiency and advance the sustainability of operations at the Lahti site.
Stora Enso is a leading global provider of renewable materials for the packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper industries. The company develops fiber-based solutions that help replace fossil-based materials and operates production facilities across Europe and North America.
