The Paper Behind Beano: A Visit To UPM Caledonian

As DC Thomson prepares to welcome Beano back to its Kingsway print plant in Dundee, Katy Tallon, Head of Sustainability, visited UPM Caledonian with Gillian Troup, Chief Operations Officer, and Craig Bertie, Head of Production. Writing from her visit, Katy explores how the mill supplying paper for Beano is leading the way in carbon reduction and industrial innovation.

I was blown away on my visit to UPM Caledonian. The mill is the biggest commercial user of energy in Scotland, responsible for around a third of all industrial and commercial electricity consumed across Ayrshire. Once you see the size of it, that becomes less shocking.

Although the coal chimney is still in place, the mill has switched to a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant, which now supplies all the mill’s heat and over half its electricity. Its feedstock? Tree bark! Basically, the logs are put in a massive washing machine-type drum to get the bark off them. The debarked logs go onwards for pulping, whilst the bark feeds the plant. The switch to CHP has saved 75,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, or equivalent, per year. Seeing it in action was inspiring, a powerful example of how heavy industry can innovate to shrink its carbon footprint and reduce waste.

Around 65% of the wood stock for the mill comes directly from Scottish forests, particularly Galloway, supporting local jobs and reducing transport emissions. The rest of its fibre is sourced internationally through FSC/PEFC‑certified forests, ensuring international standards of responsible forest management are met. Whilst forests that are a crop aren’t especially biodiverse, they are a well-managed, carbon sink.

Did you know? The wood for paper is essentially waste from the timber industry. Timber is the cash crop for forestry. The thinner tops of the trees, no good for timber, is what is used to make paper pulp. UPM Caledonian doesn’t use recycled pulp, but that’s not the main way to reduce our emissions. Sourcing more of our pulp and paper locally to Kingsway will reduce our transport emissions. And the mill uses lower carbon energy than most mills in UK.

Overall, my visit was a reminder that even high‑energy industries can lead on climate action.