Sustainability in product design
Sustainability needs to be custom-sized: what is sustainable for one process or product might not be the best fit for the next. At Ahlstrom-Munksjö, we aim to find the best solutions for each specific product we provide.
The sixth chapter in our article series “Ahlstrom-Munksjö Specialties sustainability journey” focuses on how we build in sustainability matters from the very beginning of our product cycle with product design and raw materials sourcing.
Sustainability: a main driver and filter for innovation
When is a better time to influence the sustainability of our products but from right at the beginning; when they are conceived. This is something the company has put into place and formalized through an internal scorecard system called “Ecodesign”; a filter each and every new product has to go through.
The principle is simple: we want our new products to provide a more sustainable solution than the existing products.
To make sure we fulfill this condition, we measure the performance of the potential new product against a set of criteria like end of life scenarios or carbon emissions and we determine whether the new product improves the situation enough.
EcoDesign is not the only sustainable upstream initiative Ahlstrom-Munksjö has taken.
Sourcing responsibly
At Ahlstrom-Munksjö, we also adhere to a range of internationally recognized, third-party audited standards that support our sustainability progress.
Through the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain of custody certification at the majority of our production sites, we work to advance more responsible forestry and land use practices.
Another way we source responsibly is that we require each of our chemical and fiber suppliers to sign our Supplier Code of Conduct; to have undergone risk evaluation and to have responsible forest product sourcing targets.
EcoVadis Gold Rating renewed
As a result of all our efforts, we earned the renewal of our Gold rating from EcoVadis in 2018, a collaborative platform that provides sustainability evaluation and rating for global supply chains.
EcoVadis evaluates four dimensions: environment, labor practices, fair business practices and sustainable procurement.
The EcoVadis’ assessment puts Ahlstrom-Munksjö in the top one percent of all suppliers evaluated by the EcoVadis, regardless of the industry in which they operate.
Remember to come back next month for the final installment of the Specialties Business Area journey to drive innovative and sustainable solutions for every day products.