Sustainability and Value Creation

We provide innovative solutions for a greener and more resilient industry

Ecohelix puts innovation for the industry at the core of all its actions. From the tight collaboration with the host mill, to long term partnerships with chemical companies and final off takers, we strive for mutual benefits and seek widespread societal effects. This is done through an open mindset, where interested partners are enabled to explore the use of WOODMER^® in their production.

For example, we are currently part of several collaborations to explore WOODMER^®’s potential in a wide range of industries, including construction, textile and cosmetics sectors. The results? Often equal and even better performance than the fossil-based reference material. This implies that going green does not require industry leaders to compromise on quality, but rather an opportunity to develop new and better products.

We are proud to see that the interest for our product is large and widespread, as word of the mouth seems to be our way to success. Behind this, lies a decade of hard work and a patented solid innovation with potential for up-scaling.

We create employment opportunities in rural communities and substitute harmful materials with wood-based ones

Ecohelix contributes to sustainable cities and communities in many ways:

WOODMER^® production is closely tied to pulp mills and cellulose production. These mills tend to be located close to the forests, which naturally means rural areas that have traditionally phased migration issues, as the youth move into cities. WOODMER^® production means income diversification and hence a better economy for the host mill, as well as new exciting job opportunities around the production plant. This is in line with Sweden’s and the EUs strive for ”thriving rural communities”.

The EU Green Deal and the EU Industrial Strategy aim for an independent and resilient EU. By substituting fossil-based polymers with WOODMER^®, manufacturers can avoid logistical challenges and enjoy short and transparent supply chains. The factories and surrounding communities also enjoy significantly lower GHG emissions and less exposure to harmful plastics.

WOODMER^® is the natural choice for the responsible customer, with remarkably low carbon footprint, improved circularity and low opportunity costs

WOODMER^® was created in response to the need to lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve circularity in the cellulose production process. The result was a product that does both; with lower emissions compared to many fossil- and food-based polymers, the production and value chains get significantly more sustainable, and consumers can access more environmentally friendly, and responsibly produced products.

Compared to agriculture-based polymers, that require intensive land management and water, our input (wood biomass) requires relatively little distortion of the soils and surroundings during its lifetime. Moreover, large share of wood biomass was previously burned as waste for energy, an inefficient process that violates the cascading principle.

Therefore, WOODMER^® offers manufacturers and consumers benefits such as high usefulness, high reliability, improved circularity, low GHG emissions and low opportunity costs

We enable our customers to significantly lower their GHG emissions, contributing to the EU net-zero strategy

The Paris agreement and EUs aim to be climate neutral by 2050, have never required as urgent actions as now. Ecohelix provides a solution to significantly lower GHG emissions for multiple value chains and at several levels of the value chains. From increased energy efficiency at the hostmill, to improved carbon footprint of products that we often use in our daily lifes, WOODMER^® can provide a multiplying effect, across industries and at several stages of the value chains, for example integrated into the product itself, as adhesive and in the packaging material. Thereby, Ecohelix can contribute to exponential effects for reduction of GHG, working against global warming.

Ecohelix production promotes circularity and retention of wood-based CO2 sinks. Our raw material is wood biomass from certified forests, that is currently underutilized raw material source. By transforming these unused side streams into valuable and sustainable material, we improve energy efficiency, circularity and facilitate the retention of the CO2 sink that wood has created, throughout the life cycle of the products. In addition, we provide a locally available material, for improved independency of European market actors.

WOODMER^® is transparently sourced from side streams of cellulose production, based on sustainably managed forests, and has minimal environmental impact. We are mindful to keep it that way across value chains

Ecohelix raw material originates from sustainably managed forests and transparent sources. Through our industry partners, Ecohelix is committed to forest certification schemes that include environmental, social and economic aspects, with consideration of the local environment and surrounding biodiversity.

Not a single additional tree is cut for Ecohelix’s production. Instead, we increase circularity and consider our effect on the nearby environment, both next to our production plant and all the way to our customers. Consisting of hemicellulose and lignin, naturally available in nature, and sourced from a side stream that ultimately returns to the host mill, WOODMER^® production has minimal effect on its surroundings. However, we still conduct regular safety and environmental controls, making sure that the surrounding remains in harmony. Our ambitions also go further – we are to establish a production site entirely made of wood. A project that we hope will inspire others to do the same.