Effects of technological development in paper manufacturing and recycling:: A case study of the Finnish pulp and paper industry

Technological development is seen as one of the fundamental forces in shaping the modern economies. The effects and the role of technological development are also central questions in many issues of environmental protection. This paper presents the results of a life cycle assessment study of the Finnish pulp an paper industry. Three comparative scenarios are drawn. Two scenarios describe the technological levels and production volumes of 1993 and 1997. A comparison scenario with the production volumes of 1997 and the technological level of 1997 describes the effects avoided by improvements. The results demonstrate that technological development has had considerable effects on the material flows of the industry within a relatively short period of time. Changes in most material flows result from various improvements. The environmental performance of the industry has been improved by both changes in operative practices as well as capital investments. The study fails to describe some aspects of realized developments and thus indicates that factors connected to technological change are highly problematic for LCA modelling.