Starting from May 2022, the lignin-based WISA® BioBond bonding technology is being 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. 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’ already low fossil CO2 emissions over their 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 renewable raw material and acts as a carbon storage throughout its lifetime. With WISA BioBond, we develop our plywood products and take their environmental performance one step further. This brings the material closer to the UPM vision of a future beyond fossils,” says Susanna Rinne, VP, Strategy and Business Development at UPM Plywood.
UPM’s WISA-Spruce products are high-quality 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 to the technical performance, quality and strength of WISA spruce plywood as we make WISA BioBond the new standard,” says Rinne.
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.
