Displaying items by tag: södra

Södra’s pulp mills have reached an impressive 4,700 GWh of green energy – enough for an electric car to circle the Earth 50,000 times, and to heat 27,000 homes. Our deliveries of biofuels now equate to 6% of Sweden’s total consumption of biofuels. And our 1.8 million tonnes of pulp could make 4.3 billion books and 480 million sweaters.

And yet most consumers are unaware of the range of sustainable products that pulp mill can produce and their contribution to the bioeconomy. We’re trying to change this, by highlighting the sustainability of pulp and paper products to a much wider audience than our customers.

Episode 3 of our journey to a more sustainable future is filmed at our Mönsterås mill, deliberately located next to one of our sawmills for optimal use of resources - the pulp mill provides the sawmill with energy and in return, the sawmill produces woodchips for pulp. This closed-loop cycle leads to higher energy efficiency and reduced transportation.

Did you know:

• · Mönsterås is free of fossil fuels for day-to-day operations. We produce more green energy than we use so the surplus is sold as green electricity, district heating and biofuels.
• · Last year, we launched a Nutrient Recycling service which is a prime example of a sustainable ecosystem approach: Bio-ash, a residual by-product of the pulp process, is reused to promote a higher rate of forest growth and strengthen the profitability of our forest estates.
• · Water is another area of focus. We employ a range of water conservation and treatment measures and are proud to be among the best in class when it comes to water conservation.
• · Sustainability is not just about the process, of course, it’s about every aspect of our business. Which is why we have a zero-accident vision for all our employees.

A sustainable future requires everyday heroes – and new ways of thinking. It can be as simple as actively choosing products from sustainably managed forests, but we also need to maximize our part, which is why we’ve been examining every aspect of our process to ask the question: Could we make the world’s most sustainable pulp? We’re inviting our customers to ask the same question and join us on the journey to a more sustainable future.

Via Pulp+, customers can engage in the project, not just by tracking our journey but also their own. What would happen if we were to combine all the sustainable aspects of our value chain – would we have the world’s most sustainable pulp? The most sustainable forest products?

Watch Episode 3 of our journey here

If you missed the first two videos, set in our nurseries and forests, click here

Södra is adjusting the price of spruce logs and pulpwood.

Spruce log supplies are high in both Sweden and the rest of Europe.  The global economy is showing continued signs of a slowdown, which is affecting the finished goods market, and market prices for spruce logs are declining in general. The cyclical slowdown is reducing demand for market pulp, with an adverse impact on price formation. Due to high supply and declining demand, the market price of softwood pulpwood is falling. The market price of fuel wood is also decreasing.

“The timber price adjustments are due to both high supply and external factors, which are having a negative impact on demand and creating market uncertainty,” said Olof Hansson, President of the Södra Skog business area.

The following price adjustments will apply from 9 September 2019

• -SEK 30/m³sub for spruce logs
• -SEK 20/m³sub for softwood pulpwood
• -SEK 20/m³sub for fuel wood

For more information, please contact: 
Olof Hansson, President of Södra Skog Business Area, 
Tel: +46 470-857 67
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Founded in 1938, Södra is Sweden’s largest forest-owner association, with nearly 52,000 forest owners as its members. We conduct modern and responsible forestry, and operate state-of-the-art mills in which we process our raw material. In 2018, sales amounted to SEK 24 billion and employees totalled 3,100. Through value-generating relationships and a long-term approach, Södra shows the way for the next generation of forestry.

Södra has taken on the challenge of making the world´s most sustainable pulp. From the seedlings in our nurseries to the way we package our finished bales, we’ve been examining every step of the process in a bid to take sustainability even further.

A sustainable future requires everyday heroes – and new ways of thinking. It can be as simple as actively choosing products from sustainably-managed forests, but we also need to maximize our part.

Maria Staxhammar, Sales director and Project Leader: “We can see that for our customers, sustainability remains a top priority and an ongoing concern. We would like to help them add value by embarking on the journey to a more sustainable future together. Through Pulp+ services, customers are invited to engage with us and see what aspects of the process we could tailor to offer them the most sustainable pulp possible.” 

“At the same time, we want to build on the Hero campaign and continue to educate and raise awareness of how sustainable pulp and paper products can be,” explains Communication Manager, Linda Ottosson. “for our customers, but to a much wider audience too. With this in mind a series of videos launches today which follows the journey of our pulp from seedling to customer and is aimed to paper users everywhere.”

Episode one which just launched . Follow the journey to a more sustainable future as we travel from London to the heart of Södra’s operations in southern Sweden. We begin in one of Södra’s nurseries with Site Manager Tord Barone and Growing Manager Falkenberg, Johan Henriksson. 
Forest regeneration and regrowth are the key to sustainable forestry and to strengthening the profitability of forest estates.  Our integrated seed orchards use the latest techniques to breed trees that will ensure optimal forest regeneration and regrowth for the future. We also have a unique focus on greenhouse spruce orchards to provide customers with faster access to selectively-bred seedlings.

Södra’s nurseries are now completely free of fossil fuels. To heat the facilities, natural gas has been replaced by wood pellets from our sawmills and green energy from our pulp mills, while biodiesel fuels our machinery and vehicles. 

Södra has invested some SEK 10 million in environmental improvements with the result that all our nurseries, greenhouses and staff premises are now run entirely on renewables. 

We have employed a program of integrated pest management for the last 15 years where chemicals are viewed as a last resort – the result is that chemical pesticides have been halved in a decade and we are working to reduce this number further still.

These are just a few examples of sustainability at the first stage of our process. If we were to maximise the most sustainable aspects of every part of the pulp production process, from paper straps to fossil-free nurseries and transport, would the result be the world’s most sustainable pulp?

And if we could show everyone how sustainable we already are, could we help change the perception of this highly underrated industry?

Tune in to find out: Customers can start the conversation right now via Pulp+ and everyone can visit www.sodra.com/theJourney, look out for the videos on social media and share them. 
 

Founded in 1938, Södra is Sweden’s largest forest-owner association, with nearly 52,000 forest owners as its members. We conduct modern and responsible forestry, and operate state-of-the-art mills in which we process our raw material. In 2018, sales amounted to SEK 24 billion and employees totalled 3,100. Through value-generating relationships and a long-term approach, Södra shows the way for the next generation of forestry.

The Södra Research Foundation has decided to grant an additional SEK 8.8 million to 12 research projects linked to forestry and the forest industry.

The funding was awarded to projects including process development in the pulp industry, recycling textiles and controlling pulpwood flows. 

“The linear life cycle for textiles needs to become circular, but the lack of recycling technologies is a major problem. One of the projects that has received funding will further develop a process to recycle mixed textiles that is compatible with today’s Swedish forest industry, which will be of interest to both our industry and the textile industry,” said Catrin Gustavsson, Senior Vice President Innovation and New Business at Södra. 

Several forest-related projects were awarded funding, for example studying genetic gains, Douglas fir, damage to pine and better swarming forecasts for spruce bark beetles. 

“There is a desire to increase the share of pine in young forests, not least given climate change.  However, we can see increasing problems with disturbance of growth in regeneration stands of pine, which is causing concern about the initiative. The Foundation’s funding for a research project that aims to clarify the cause-effect relationship will hopefully guide us in how we can address these problems,” said Göran Örlander, Forestry Strategist and Chairman of the Research Foundation.

In conjunction with this autumn’s call for proposals, research into the “efficient utilisation of resources” in the forest industry is particularly welcomed. The call for proposals concerns both core forest industry products and by-products.  

“The efficient use of wood raw material, by-products from harvesting, energy, water and chemicals keeps costs down and improves profitability. At the same time, it also benefits society, businesses and individuals by minimising environmental and climate-change impacts,” said Göran Örlander.

Read more about the Södra Research Foundation.

For more information, please contact:
Göran Örlander, Chairman of the Södra Research Foundation and forestry strategist at Södra
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Catrin Gustavsson, Board member of the Södra Research Foundation and Senior Vice President Innovation and New Business at Södra.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Founded in 1938, Södra is Sweden’s largest forest-owner association, with nearly 52,000 forest owners as its members. We conduct modern and responsible forestry, and operate state-of-the-art mills in which we process our raw material. In 2018, sales amounted to SEK 24 billion and employees totalled 3,100. Through value-generating relationships and a long-term approach, Södra shows the way for the next generation of forestry.

Södra’s pioneering Act of a Hero campaign was named Marketing Campaign of the Year at the PPI Awards in Vienna last night.

Linda Ottosson, Head of Marketing Communication, who led the campaign with Sales Director Marcus Hellberg, accepted the award on behalf of the Södra Cell team, along with Customer relations Manager, Angeline Elfström. “We’re extremely proud of the pioneering Act of a Hero campaign for several reasons,” she told the audience.

PPI Awards 2019 - Angeline Elfström & Linda Ottosson

“We pushed the boundaries of traditional advertising by a pulp supplier, deliberately targeting our customers’ customers and spreading a generic positive message about sustainable forest products. The campaign far exceeded our expectations and those of the customers we collaborated with (another first), registering over 4.3 million views (including search engine views). Video views number more than 815,000 so far.”

“The statistics are impressive,” added Hellberg, “but they’re not the whole story. The fact that we have won not one but two awards for this campaign (it also won Sofidel’s Best Sustainable Project, Social Category) shows there is real value in creative, out-of-the-box communication, especially when it is accompanied by analysis of the stakeholders in the chain and collaboration with customers. We also need to thank our creative agency, Ehrenstrahle, for helping us to think bravely and to take a whole new approach to the marketing of pulp.”

https://www.sodra.com/hero

Founded in 1938, Södra is Sweden’s largest forest-owner association, with nearly 52,000 forest owners as its members. We conduct modern and responsible forestry, and operate state-of-the-art mills in which we process our raw material. In 2018, sales amounted to SEK 24 billion and employees totalled 3,100. Through value-generating relationships and a long-term approach, Södra shows the way for the next generation of forestry.

Gunilla Saltin, President of Södra Cell, is leaving Södra for a new role as Technical Director at the packaging and paper company Mondi, based in Vienna.

Gunilla Saltin“I would like to thank Gunilla for all of her years at Södra with many successes, excellent results and hard work and would also like to wish her the best of luck in her future endeavours,” said Lars Idermark, President and CEO of Södra.

“I have had a wonderful time at Södra Cell and would especially like to thank all the competent and dedicated employees for these successful and exciting years,” said Gunilla Saltin.

A recruitment process will begin immediately.

Magnus Björkman, President of Södra Cell International, has been appointed Interim Business Area President and will also, therefore, be a member of Group Senior Management.

Founded in 1938, Södra is Sweden’s largest forest-owner association, with nearly 52,000 forest owners as its members. We conduct modern and responsible forestry, and operate state-of-the-art mills in which we process our raw material. In 2018, sales amounted to SEK 24 billion and employees totalled 3,100. Through value-generating relationships and a long-term approach, Södra shows the way for the next generation of forestry.

Södra is one of the main sponsors of Introduce a Girl to Engineering day (IGEday) — an initiative by the organisation Womengineer that aims to increase interest in technology and engineering among teenage girls.

Södra is a gold partner for IGEday and is throwing open the doors of its three pulp mills in Värö, Mörrum and Mönsterås as well as the head office in Växjö on 29 March. The participants encompass girls and non-binary teenagers aged 13–19. This initiative is fully aligned with Södra’s sustainability target — namely that by 2020, at least 30 percent of Södra employees should be women.

The issue affects the entire industry and several other companies are also IGEday partners. Currently, the percentage of Sweden’s engineering students at bachelor’s and master’s levels varies 20–25 percent.

“This is far too low a share. As an industry, we need to act cohesively and promote equality at our workplaces. Inspiring teenage girls at an early age to choose a career in engineering, a traditionally male-dominated profession, is important for Södra’s and for Sweden’s future competitiveness. And this is where meeting platforms, such as IGEday, have an important role to play,” said Christer Thörn, HR Director at Södra. 

During the day, some 60 teenage girls will test various activities that showcase how to work with technology and engineering using an approach conducive to development and sustainability.  They will also gain insight into how we, on a daily basis, conduct research to develop new products, process wood and produce paper and dissolving pulp.

“Through the IGEday initiative, we want to be part of opening new possibilities for the female engineers of tomorrow,” said Christer Thörn.

Södra was founded in 1938 and is the largest forest-owner association in Sweden, with a membership of close to 52,000 forest owners. We engage in modern and responsible forestry, and operate state-of-the-art mills in which we process our raw material. Net sales in 2017 were 20.5 SEK billion and there were 3,400 employees. Through value-generating relationships and a long-term approach, Södra is leading the way for the future of sustainable forestry.

Södra was awarded two prizes, as Best Supplier – Pulp Producer Category and for Best Sustainability Project – Social Category during the Sofidel Suppliers Sustainability Award (3SAward). This year the prize ceremony took place in Columbus, Ohio

Sofidel, one of the leading manufacturers of paper for hygienic and domestic use worldwide, on occasion of its annual 3SAward, awarded Södra among its best suppliers.

The Suppliers Sustainability Award organised every year by Sofidel aimed at its national and international suppliers to encourage, spread and highlight best practices and improvements carried out by suppliers in the field of social and environmental responsibility.

On this occasion Södra, the Sweden's largest forest-owner association, was nominated and won in two categories: in the Best Supplier – Pulp Producer for the sustainability performance of the mills in Mönsterås, Mörrum, and Värö, which between them produce close to 2 million tons of market pulp annually, was especially highlighted. Södra also won in the category The Best Sustainable Project – Social, for their campaign “Act of a Hero”.

“The prize for ‘Best Supplier – Pulp Producer Category’ shows that we at Södra maintain a high level in our sustainability efforts, thanks to the focus and commitment of our employees – this award is an honour and accolade for them. Our mills are well invested and expertly run for the benefit of customers, and for selected key sustainability targets we have” says Gunilla Saltin CEO at Södra Cell.

The “Act of a Hero” campaign was a social media expression of Södra’s belief in the sustainable role played by tissue and other paper products in society.

Paper production is a very resource demanding industry, both in terms of water, forest, and energy. For this reason, Sofidel works actively for a more sustainable paper and pulp industry. As of today, Sofidel has reduced direct emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere by 20.6% thanks to investments in energy efficiency, in the use of cogeneration plants and the use of renewable energy sources. Another fundamental area of action is the sourcing of pulp from independent certified sources with forest certification schemes (FSC®, FSC Controlled Wood, SFI®, PEFC™), which has reached a level of 100%. Moreover, Sofidel operates to safeguard water resources, limiting the consumption inside their production processes (the amount of water used in the production is distinctly lower than the industry benchmark: 7.1 l/kg vs. 15-25 l/kg)

Read more about Sofidel Suppliers Sustainability Awards here

Södra received two of the 2018 Sofidel Suppliers Sustainability Awards (3SAward) presented in Columbus, Ohio (USA) last week. Södra was named Best Supplier in the Pulp Producer Category and in the Best Sustainable Project, Social Category.

The prestigious 3SAward is an accolade awarded each year by the tissue manufacturer Sofidel to the suppliers who have distinguished themselves through their environmental and social sustainability activities.

L to r: Marcus Hellberg, sales director, Södra; Andrea Piazzolla, chief purchasing officer, Sofidel; Gunilla Saltin, CEO Södra Cell; Luigi Lazzareschi, group chief executive, Sofidel

In the Pulp Producer Category, Södra was recognised for the sustainability performance of its Swedish mills, Mönsterås, Mörrum and Värö, which between them produce close to 2 million tons of market pulp annually. The Best Sustainable Project, Social Category, was awarded for Södra’s ground-breaking “Act of a Hero” social media campaign.

Södra Cell CEO Gunilla Saltin said: “The prize for ‘Best Supplier’ shows that we at Södra maintain a high level in our sustainability efforts, thanks to the focus and commitment of our employees – this award is an honour and accolade for them. Our mills are well invested and expertly run for the benefit of customers, and selected key sustainability targets have the same status as financial ones.”

Södra’s strategy until 2020 is based on being a value-generating and cohesive Group with profitable growth, inspired by the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact. “Our ambitions on fossil free operations are high,” said Saltin. “Fossil-free and climate-positive operations are at the top of our agenda, as are sustainable forestry, sustainable innovation, resource efficiency and responsibility to our employees and those throughout the value chain.”

The “Act of a Hero” campaign was a social media expression of Södra’s belief in the sustainable role played by tissue and other paper products in society. Sofidel explained the winning formula: “For realizing an "out-of-the-box" communication approach, through a campaign developed by a b2b company and dedicated to a wide targeted audience of final customers, based on active involvement of retailers, and effective in influencing consumers' choice in favour of sustainable fibre/paper.”

“We thought out of the box for sure,” said head of marketing communications Linda Ottosson. “Our aim was to reach not only our customers, who know the sustainability credentials of our pulp, but to our customers’ customers and consumers who in many cases don’t. Through a simple but unexpected message delivered with humour and a strong human touch, the result was a level of targeted engagement beyond our most optimistic expectations, with more than 1.6 million impressions in the first three months.”

Södra’s next major ad campaign will show that being a hero doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be as simple as actively choosing products from sustainably-managed forests - because consumers who make sustainable choices are heroes. Like previous campaigns, this latest initiative from Södra, recently nominated for the marketing award “100 Wattaren” in Sweden, seeks to be different and to make people sit up and think.

By highlighting that products and services from the forest are environmentally sustainable, the “Act of a hero” campaign (#actofahero) is a counter message to those who try to make paper consumers feel guilty (“don’t print this e-mail” etc). This campaign applauds good behaviour and turns informed consumers into heroes.

“The campaign doesn’t put fibre-based products up against other materials. Its core message is simple: When (not if) you consume, choose a product based on a sustainably-managed forest raw material – that’s an act of a hero!” says Linda Ottosson, Communication Manager at Södra Cell.

Södra recognises the need to communicate the environmental credentials of pulp and paper further downstream in the value chain. That’s why the principal aim of #actofahero is not only to market Södra’s offering to its customers but also to reach its customers’ customers, and to some extent consumers.

“Communicating downstream in the value chain is new and exciting, and to ensure that the message hits home we have chosen to work with two important customers in the tissue and specialty paper segments, respectively. They connect us with their key stakeholders, who are brought in as additional target groups in the campaign,” explains Marcus Hellberg, Marketing Director at Södra Cell.

“The main channels for the campaign will be Södra’s own website and social media channels. But we are asking everybody – customers, colleagues and members – to be part of the campaign by helping to spread and share our material,” adds Ottosson.

Visit www.sodra.com/hero and share your stories!