Using wood-based building materials reduces climate impacts – Koskisen’s partially substituted lignin is part of the development of more sustainable products
Responsibility at Koskisen comes in many different actions, says Maria Nyström, Koskisen’s Corporate Responsibility Manager.
“On the material side, we think that everything starts from how well the raw material is utilized. It is important that our valuable raw material is used as efficiently as possible for the benefit of our processes. In turn, we can bind carbon in our long-lasting products,” Nyström lists.
In addition, Koskisen also aims to utilize valuable raw materials as far as possible through production planning. Raw material is supplied from the sawmill industry to the panel board industry for further use, whereby the panel board industry supports the sawmill industry in the efficient utilization of the raw material.
Using wood-based building materials is one way to reduce climate impacts. Materials made from renewable wood-based materials are generally good options when the project aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. For example, raw materials such as lignin can further reduce the carbon footprint and offer customers more responsible solutions.
What is lignin?
“Lignin is a by-product of wood pulp production,” says Supply Chain Director Eunice Joensuu. “Previously, it was burned, but today the wood products industry further processes lignin and it can be used to replace fossil adhesives in particleboard and plywood production. Lignin is bio-based and is produced by utilizing industrial side streams. In addition to being wood-based, lignin is an exemplary circular economy product.”
Lignin is a strong binding agent naturally occurring in wood, and wood consists of 20–30 percent lignin, which gives wood its stiffness and resistance to decay. Lignin is a complex plant-based polymer that binds wood cellulose and hemicellulose together, and it is the world’s second largest source of renewable carbon after cellulose. Lignin is nature’s own
multi-purpose binder that can replace fossil materials in many different industries.
Products containing lignin are part of responsibility
“Using lignin supports the circular economy approach and I would hope that it is the future. We need to find more responsible solutions. Using lignin is a solution that supports the circular economy approach”, Nyström states. The use of lignin involves a huge amount of product development work and a sustainable transition requires resources, reminds Nyström.
“I see that we are moving towards fossil-free products. Pressure for more responsible raw materials comes from many directions, both from end users and legislators”, Joensuu adds.
In Koskisen’s chipboard division, Zero furniture boards [https://koskisen.fi/en/product/zero-furniture-board/] use a lignin-based resin made entirely from biomaterials as a binding agent. Lignin is also being introduced in the plywood industry as a partial replacement product during 2025.
“The properties of our products containing partially substituted lignin remain the same and it is not possible to tell from the product whether it contains lignin or not,” says Joensuu.
