Environmental impacts

Energy and carbon dioxide emissions

Improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide emissions are Raisio’s key environmental goals. Raisio is involved in The Finnish Food and Drink Industries' Energy Efficiency Agreement.  The company aims to reduce its total energy consumption by four per cent from the 2015 levels by the end of 2020.

In 2018, the total energy consumption rose by 3 per cent from 2017, partly due to the transfer of heat production to the company's own bioenergy plant. In 2018, Raisio’s own energy production accounted for some 55 per cent of the company’s total energy consumption.

Energy efficiency measures are taken in all Raisio’s production plants and larger office buildings. For example, a condensate recovery system was expanded in Raisio’s industrial area at the end of 2018. With the system, we can save both water and energy.

In 2018, Raisio’s industrial area achieved carbon neutrality as a result of the bioenergy plant and carbon neutral electricity. In addition, the company’s total carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 75 per cent from 2017. Of all the energy used by the Raisio Group, some 90 per cent was produced in a carbon-neutral way in 2018. 

In Raisio’s new responsibility programme, the carbon dioxide emission target is a four per cent decrease from the 2017 levels by the end of 2020 as well as carbon neutrality in the productions by the end of 2023. 

Scope of reporting: The Group’s continuing operations 2016 - 2018. 

Carbon dioxide emissions 2016-2018

	2016	2017	2018
Direct CO2e emissions, tonnes	0	250	450
Indirect CO2e emissions, tonnes	13,700	6,400	1,150
Total CO2e emissions, tonnes	13,700	6,650	1,600
CO2e emissions t/tonne produced	0.13	0.06	0.02

Raw materials and waste

All raw materials Raisio uses are renewable and almost 90 per cent of them are plant-based. More information about the company’s raw materials can be found here. 

In 2018, Raisio actively participated in the preparatory work of the Food Industry’s Material Efficiency Commitment in Finland and signed the commitment among the first companies at the beginning of 2019. In connection with the preparation of the commitment, Raisio explored the possibilities for monitoring and improving of material efficiency of its productions. 

Material efficiency means  efficient use of natural resources, better use of side streams, reduction of waste and prevention of emissions. Raisio’s material efficiency work focuses on packaging made of renewable materials, reducing foodstuff and food waste, and making better use of production side and waste streams. All these actions together reduce Raisio’s environmental impact. 

Main part, 95 per cent, of the company’s waste is recoverable. Raisio’s goal is to increase waste recycling and not to produce landfill waste. In terms of landfill waste, the goal was not achieved in 2018 due to the small landfill waste amounts from the production plant renovation. The amount of recoverable waste has also increased. Raisio is actively looking for new uses for its current production waste streams.  

Water

At Raisio, water is used, e.g. in the processes of production and district heating production. Most of the water used by Raisio is spent on the company’s own energy production, i.e. the production of industrial steam. Industrial steam is widely used in our productions and heating of buildings. Water is used in small amounts for Raisio’s productions. The specific water consumption for the whole Group is only about 1.5 m3 / per tonne of product. 

Water usage is monitored regularly and the aim is to further reduce it.  For example, Raisio invested in the condensate recovery system of industrial steam in 2018. The system brings savings in the consumption of both water and energy. 

All Raisio’s production plants are located in areas where water availability or pollution do not pose any problems. All Raisio’s production plants get the water through the municipal water distribution. 

Raisio’s operations generate relatively small amounts of waste water, less than 0.5m3 /tonne of product. Wastewater is, however, defined as a significant environmental aspect for Raisio’s industrial area where wastewater is treated in the company’s own pre-treatment installation before being discharged to the municipal sewage network.

The pre-treatment installation also treats the wastewater of other companies located in Raisio’s industrial area. The wastewater quality is monitored on a weekly basis and new, even more ambitious reduction targets were set on the wastewater volume.

The goal is to reduce the specific wastewater consumption by 5 per cent from the 2017 levels by the end of 2023.