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UPM now uses lignin based bonding for spruce plywood

Lignin-based WISA BioBond bonding technology is now used in all UPM’s WISA spruce plywood products. WISA BioBond is UPM Plywood’s proprietary bonding technology in which at least 50% of fossil-based phenol in the glue is replaced with wood’s own natural bonding agent, lignin. Source: Timberbiz

UPM is the first plywood manufacturer in the world to adopt such a lignin-based solution in its entire range of spruce products.

More than just a new type of glue, WISA BioBond is a comprehensive technology that helps further reduce WISA products’ low fossil CO2 emissions over its lifecycle. The technology has been used in UPM’s birch plywood mills since 2017. By making it the standard in the WISA spruce range, UPM is helping constructors and builders meet their own sustainability targets.

“WISA plywood is a material with excellent sustainable qualities already. It is made from renewabler aw material and acts as a carbon storage throughout its lifetime. With WISA BioBond, we developour plywood products and take their environmental performance one step further. This brings the material closer to the UPM vision of a future beyond fossils,” said Susanna Rinne, VP, Strategy andBusiness Development at UPM Plywood.

UPM’s WISA Spruce products are plywood panels typically used in the construction where their light weight and strength make them ideal for structural uses. The range includes special products, such as fire-retardant and water-repellent plywood that improve performance in various demanding applications.

“With structural construction material, it is highly important that the technical performance and reliability of the product stay consistent even when we change from one technology to another. Rigorous and persistent testing has helped us to be 100% confident that there is no compromise tothe technical performance, quality and strength of WISA spruce plywood as we make WISABioBond the new standard,” Ms Rinne said.

All WISA spruce products are made at the UPM Pellos mill in Finland from sustainably sourced wood material. Users can reliably verify and compare the products’ environmental impact from third-party verified and internationally comparable Environmental Product Declarations.