An independent life-cycle assessment (LCA) conducted by Spanish private research organization Cartif has confirmed Metsä’s new sustainable wood-based textile fibre, Kuura is more eco-friendly than any commercially-available cellulosic fibre. The LCA indicates Kuura is made with pine and spruce from certified, sustainably-managed Finnish forests which have almost doubled in size since 1970, making them a major carbon sink.

Meanwhile, the company's bioproduct mill in Äänekoski which produces wood pulp for the fibre is the world’s first mill to be fossil-fuel free. The manufacturing concept is based on locally-sourced wood obtained from its own forests, says Niklas von Weyman, CEO. Its Kuura concept is competitive in terms of both environment and social sustainability, he adds.

A horizontal, private and non-profit research institution, Cartif aims to provide innovative solutions to the industry to enhance processes, systems and products.