In 2004, Stora Enso set a target to reduce Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) discharges by 10% per unit of production by the end of 2009 from 2004 levels. Some investment in waste water treatment capacity will be needed to help achieve this target, primarily at Stora Enso’s European mills.

Other opportunities to cut COD discharges involve reducing the loads of organic materials in waste water before treatment. When discharges have been reduced, it becomes increasingly important to operate systems optimally to avoid any unintended discharges.

COD is a measure of the oxygen-consuming capacity of organic and inorganic matter present in water or waste water, using a chemical measurement method. The higher the amount of COD present in treated waste water, the more oxygen the discharges will consume in the receiving water body. If the waste water discharges consume too much oxygen in the receiving water body, aquatic organisms can be adversely affected.