In addition to 500,000 tonnes of recovered paper, Perlen Papier needs some 9,000 truckloads of woodchips and over 1,000 loads of logs each year to make its quality newsprint and magazine paper products. The wood has to be high-quality, too: not all woods provide the kind of fibres required.

Specific demands 

The logs that are used need to be straight, have a diameter of 10-40 centimetres and be three to six metres long. They must also be free of any major branches or areas of rot. Since the wood needs to be relatively moist, the log must also have been cut no more than six weeks before use, and will be regularly watered during its intermediate storage. The woodchips must also meet clear size requirements, and must have a water content of at least 50%. In view of this, these woodchips are further processed immediately upon delivery.  

Sustainable sources?

To ensure that it meets all the relevant criteria, Perlen Papier only uses spruce and fir for such purposes, and only buys these woods from sustainably-managed sources. “Sustainable” also means here that no trees are felled solely for paper production. Some 70% of Perlen Papier’s wood comes from within Switzerland. And the company aims to raise this to 80% by 2020.