SONAE ARAUCO PRODUCTS RETAIN CO2

Sonae Arauco, one of the world’s largest wood solutions companies, was responsible for retaining 3.5 million tons of carbon dioxide with the products it placed on the market in 2021. This is an independent calculation based on environmental product declarations, documents that provide a transparent life cycle analysis of the products and show a calculation for specific carbon retention.

This figure takes into account the company’s entire product range, a broad portfolio of wood solutions for the furniture, interior design and construction sectors, distributed to approximately 80 countries in 2021.

Rui Correia, CEO of Sonae Arauco, says: “As we all know, trees take CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, store it in the wood and release oxygen. This underpins the company’s conviction that forests, besides playing a fundamental role in preserving habitats and helping to regulate water cycles, are crucial for the development of a more sustainable economy. Wood is a natural raw material that is renewable, re-usable, recyclable and stores CO2; it should therefore be the first material of choice when producing durable goods.”

He adds that whenever wood solutions reach the end of their life, the wood should be recycled and re-used for the production of new goods, thus extending the material’s life cycle and its CO2 retention. In Sonae Arauco’s case, solutions include over 60% of recycled wood in some product ranges, made possible by a circular economy business model. When looked at holistically, the company has a positive impact and a relevant role in meeting the challenge of climate change.

www.sonaearauco.co.za