/ Sustainability / Products

Products

We offer sustainable wood products for the construction and transport industry. All our high-quality and material-efficient engineered wood products are made of renewable wood raw material from sustainably managed forests. The wood products store carbon as long as the products are used.

Metsä Wood Kerto® LVL (laminated veneer lumber), birch plywood and spruce plywood products are high-quality engineered wood products made for the needs of the construction, concrete formwork and transport industries. These products are ideal for use in whole wooden structures or with other materials. Using engineered wood products in different applications may offer transport savings, because the products are easy to transport to the site. In addition, the products are easy to machine and fasten using conventional woodworking tools and fasteners.

All our products are made from renewable wood raw material, which helps reduce use on fossil resources and offer sustainable choices for demanding applications. The wood products stores carbon as long as the products are used.

Wood products as carbon storage

One of the most important ways to mitigate climate change is to reduce the dependence on fossil resources. Wood is a renewable, recyclable and reusable material. Our products are produced from wood harvested from sustainably managed northern forests. As trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store the carbon. Wood products function as carbon storage for as long as the product is used. 

As the building sector contributes up to 30% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions, it plays a vital role in combating climate change. Wood construction is part of the solution. Wood products store approximately 1 tonne of CO2 per 1 m3 of wood! Metsä Wood’s products are ideal for use in wooden structures or with other building materials, creating hybrid structures. The long service-life of engineered wood products ensures long carbon storage. Every tree felled and used for wood products stores carbon and makes room for new seedlings – a new carbon sink. 

Reuse and recycling of wood products ensure prolonged carbon storage. As long as the engineered wood products are used, the carbon remains stored. Our products can have several end-of-life options. Alternatives for end-of-life options may vary according to the available technologies, market-specific waste legislation, local waste handling systems and consumer behaviour. Once the material is disposed of, stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere by trees in the photosynthesis process.

Wood products function as carbon storage for as long as the product is used.

Our target is to increase the use of sustainable wood products

Metsä Wood’s target for 2030 is to increase the amount of stored carbon in wood products. Metsä Wood provides a wide range of carbon-storing wood products for demanding applications. 

In Europe, construction consumes more raw materials than any other industry. The majority of this consumption is based on non-renewable natural resources. Construction’s share of the consumption of non-renewable natural resources is as high as 50 per cent, measured in weight. In addition, the built environment causes a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and consumes roughly 40 per cent of primary energy.

In terms of the climate, using renewable wood as a raw material is one of the best alternatives, because its environmental impact and energy consumption are small. Wood can be classified as a low-energy construction material. By increasing its use, we can reduce the consumption of non-renewable natural resources and the carbon dioxide emissions of construction. 

In addition to construction, high-quality engineered wood products can be used in several other applications transport industries. 

Metsä Wood’s target refers to the UN Sustainable Development Targets 8, 12 and 13.

Safe engineered wood products

Metsä Wood products are manufactured according to relevant national and international regulations and standards, and the products have several product approvals. The continuous high quality of products is ensured by modern quality assurance procedures. Both the production process and product properties are systematically controlled. In addition to Metsä Wood’s own quality control, Eurofins Expert Services oversees production operations and internal quality control at Metsä Wood’s plywood and Kerto LVL mills.

All plywood and Kerto LVL products are bonded with weather-resistant adhesives. During production process, the adhesives harden, and are therefore non-hazardous to humans and animals.

The formaldehyde emitted by Metsä Wood products falls far below the Class E1 requirement of ≤ 0.100 ppm, and the majority also fulfils the most stringent formaldehyde emission requirements in the world. 

Metsä Wood products do not contain more than 0.1% any of the Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) listed in the Candidate List of ECHA. The Candidate List is monitored for updates.

Want to know more about Metsä Group's bioproducts?

Learn more