Raw materials
Raw materials play a vital role in our business since they account for around 70% of our expenses. Suominen uses different fiber materials, such as cellulose-based fibers including lyocell, viscose and pulp, and fossil-based fibers such as polypropylene, and polyester, in the production of nonwovens.
We have categorized our resource inflows into plant-based raw materials, fossil-based raw materials, secondary reused or recycled raw materials and other raw materials. Plant-based raw materials include raw materials manufactured using biological materials, such as wood, and fossil-based raw materials respectively include materials manufactured using fossil materials, such as oil. Secondary reused or recycled raw materials are raw materials purchased from external sources which are by majority or entirely manufactured using secondary sources which would otherwise end up as waste. Other raw materials include materials such as colorants and pigments.
In 2024, the share of raw materials from plant-based sources was 62% (60% in 2023), with most of them being cellulosic fibers such as viscose and pulp. We support responsible forest management practices, and we offer nonwovens produced from FSC® (FSC-N002523), PEFC, and SFI® certified raw materials.
Suominen is constantly looking for solutions to decrease the environmental impact of nonwoven products throughout the value chain. We actively evaluate new, innovative, and sustainable fibers for our products. We have a strong focus on efficient utilization of raw materials, and we continuously work to improve our material efficiency even further. We also strive for the minimization of waste in our production by recycling and finding alternative outlets for non-recyclable production waste.
| Inflows of key material streams | 2024 |
| Plant-based raw materials (tons) | 86,935 |
| Fossil-based raw materials (tons) | 52,115 |
| Other raw materials (tons) | 150 |
| Sustainably sourced plant-based materials (%) | 54 |
| Secondary reused or recucled plant-based materials (tons) | 0 |
| Secondary reused or recycled fossil-based materials (tons) | 1,836 |
| Secondary reused or recycled materials (%) | 1 |
| Total raw materials (tons) | 141,036 |