UPM Plywood is taking another step with WISA BioBond to help builders meet sustainability targets
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.