After several years of consultation, EU Member States have now adopted criteria for an EU Ecolabel on newsprint paper. UPM has been a key player in negotiations to ensure that the EU Ecolabel could be made available also to its newsprint customers.

“The newsprint criteria give us an excellent opportunity to expand further our already impressive range of EU ecolabelled products. Almost all UPM newsprint papers are expected to fulfill the strict criteria", says Päivi Rissanen, Environmental Director of UPM's Paper Business Group.

The new criteria includes production-related emissions to water and air, the use of energy and chemicals, as well as the requirement for newsprint paper to be composed of a minimum of 70% recycled material and the remaining virgin fibre covered by valid sustainable forest management and chain of custody certificates issued by e.g. FSC or PEFC.

To date almost all UPM copy and graphic papers produced in Europe have been awarded the EU Ecolabel and the company is a clear industry leader with almost 200 paper grades from 15 paper mills approved under the EU Ecolabel scheme. All in all about 8 million tonnes of UPM paper will be able to carry the EU Ecolabel award by end of 2012.

Printed paper products to get their own label

EU Ecolabel criteria for Printed Paper Products were approved in March this year and the final adaptation is expected in the autumn.

“The development of criteria for Printed Products now makes it possible for our customers to fully utilise the logo in their own marketing. They can print the “EU flower” on products such as magazines, books and newspapers which have been printed on EU Ecolabel awarded paper”, explains Rissanen.

The criteria aim to promote the environmental efficiency of de-inkability and recyclability for printed paper products as well as prevention of risks to the environment and to human health related to the use of hazardous substances in printing.

The criteria have been set at levels which ensure that recognition is only given to printed paper products which have a low environmental impact.