One tree – a thousand possibilities

He led with the image of a bridge from one family to another, representing the link between a family growing the forest to another family consuming forest-based products, before expanding on biomethanol – the process, applications and biomethanol’s potential role as the fossil-free fuel of the future.

Next up was OnceMore®, produced using the world’s first large-scale industrialised process for recycling cotton from blended textile waste and combining them with textile pulp to bring a level of circularity which previously eluded the sector. The target is to increase the recycled-textile proportion of OnceMore® from the current 20 percent to 50 percent. Collaborations already achieved with retail brands include Lindex, Jack & Jones, Filippa K and Vila.

Bogren framed lignin as the tree’s very own binder, which, as he put it, “is now ready to create strong bonds for the green transition.” A new lignin plant at Södra’s mill in Mönsterås is scheduled for 2027. Lignin’s current uses (glue, asphalt, energy products, roofing felt) are widely felt to be the tip of the iceberg, from batteries and RFF/carbon black for tyre manufacture to binders for a wide range of products. “We want to engage with as wide an audience as possible regarding the green transition,” he said.  “Events such as this one promoted by the Jönköping Climate Council are a perfect opportunity to stimulate discussions with innovative businesses which share our goal to shape a sustainable future with fossil-free alternatives to traditional products.”