Helsinki (News release) -- Artigo, an international rubber flooring company, will produce their next-generation flooring collections from 2025 with UPM BioMotion™ Renewable Functional Fillers (RFF). By incorporating UPM Biochemicals' RFF, Artigo has achieved CO₂ footprint savings of up to 0.5 kg CO₂e/sq. meter¹ and managed to reduce the weight by up to 5% per square meter flooring.

UPM BioMotion™ RFF are a CO₂-negative² solution for diverse rubber and plastic applications, containing 100% renewable carbon, certified by DIN CERTCO, which is sourced from sustainably managed forests. They support carbon footprint improvements by enabling flooring manufacturers to increase their share of renewable materials in products and reduce the use of traditional highly CO₂-intensive fillers, such as precipitated silica, and other fossil-carbon based raw materials. RFF deliver the same technical performance as precipitated silica in aiding flooring durability and elasticity, with the added benefit of being up to one third lighter.

Michele Andolfo, Chief Operating Officer, Artigo, commented: "UPM's innovative BioMotion™ Renewable Functional Fillers extend the opportunities we have to improve the sustainability and technical performance of Artigo and Mondo flooring by reducing the CO₂ footprint and achieving weight reductions. Both are key benefits in achieving products suited to the needs of contemporary architecture."

Artigo will achieve a renewable content share of up to 30% of the total weight of the new products thanks to the addition of UPM BioMotion™ RFF. Its flooring collections contain post-industrial recovered and consumer recycled material, and also other renewable-based components alongside UPM's RFF making Artigo a clear sustainability front runner.

"The collaboration with a global partner like Artigo highlights the exciting potential for renewable carbon-based solutions, like our UPM BioMotion™ RFF, to help product manufacturers reduce their CO₂ footprint in major industries, like building and construction. This key milestone in the commercialization of our RFF in the market highlights the possibilities for many more applications to benefit from their unique combination of sustainability and technical benefits," said Christian Hübsch, Sales Director at UPM Biochemicals.

UPM's BioMotion™ RFF are among several CO₂-negative solutions² set to be produced at UPM's Leuna facility. The company is investing EUR 1,180 million to build the world's first industrial scale biorefinery in Leuna that will convert sustainably sourced, certified hardwood into next generation biochemicals - enabling the vital shift away from fossil-based to renewable materials across a wide range of industries. The Leuna biorefinery is part of a broader growth area, UPM Biorefining, which is scaling refineries to produce a variety of renewable fuels and chemicals made from sustainable biomass.

Samples of the next-generation flooring will be on display at the following conferences:

• Renewable Materials Conference in Siegburg/Cologne, Germany, from June 11-13 at booth 31 & 32
• German rubber industry conference DKT 2024 in Nürnberg, Germany, from July 1-4 at booth 527 in hall 9

For more information on UPM BioMotion™ RFF for rubber and plastic applications please click here.

Artigo's next-generation flooring with UPM BioMotion™ RFF. (Picture: Artigo)

UPM Biochemicals
UPM Biochemicals offers innovative, sustainable and competitive wood-based biochemicals for replacing fossil-based raw materials and helping to improve the environmental performance in various applications. End-use segments for renewable glycols include textiles, PET bottles, packaging, coolants, composites, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and detergents. Lignin-based Renewable Functional Fillers (RFF) offer a sustainable alternative to carbon black and precipitated silica in a broad range of rubber and plastic applications. UPM is building an industrial scale biorefinery in Leuna, Germany to convert solid wood into next generation biochemicals. UPM Biochemicals is accelerating the transition to a circular bioeconomy - where renewable feedstocks, sustainable production and sustainable consumption are the new normal. www.upmbiochemicals.com

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Artigo
Artigo excels in the production of high-performance contract surfaces suitable for a wide range of contexts, ranging from schools to hospitals, offices, libraries, airports, and laboratories, as well as transportation such as trains and subways.The company stands out for its innovative solutions, often developed in collaboration with renowned designers whose history has included Ponti, Mollino, and Albini, with the latter leading to the famous "vignette" of the Milan subway.The partnership with Sottsass Associati has further elevated Artigo's reputation, leading to the creation of products such as Kayar, which has become a landmark in the company's catalog. Kayar is a complex project that goes beyond the simple surface of the floor, involving the very structure of the material with the integration of randomly distributed coconut fibers to give it a natural look.Artigo represents the quintessence of quality, Italian design and commitment to environmental sustainability, offering low-impact aesthetic solutions for contemporary architecture.

¹ Calculations based on UPM Biochemicals CO₂ footprint calculator with Artigo data

² from cradle to gate considering biogenic carbon from our feedstock and purchasing 100% green electricity