Sustainability is part of Eckes-Granin's existence
Eckes-Granini is the largest, oldest and most sustainable juice company in Finland. At the Artukainen plant in Turku, more than 60 million litres of juice flow into recyclable packaging every year.
Responsible juice house and legendary brands
The company's legendary juice brands Marli Juissi, Vital, Mehukatti or Trip have been familiar to Finns for many generations.
"More than 30% of the juices sold in Finland are made in Finland," says Juha Helokoski, Managing Director of Eckes-Granini Finland.
The proud story of the company began in Turku as early as 1867, when Anders Nordfors started to manufacture liqueurs and other alcohol products. Prohibition interrupted production for a long time in 1919, and alcohol production was quickly replaced by juice production.
Nordfors' operations expanded and the name was changed to Marli with a new owner in the 1950s. The next big leap took place in the early 2000s, when the German family-owned company Eckes-Granini bought Marli's juice business.
"We became part of Europe's leading juice business, with international brands such as granini, God Morgon and Rynkeby added to our product portfolio. We have received significant new investments in Finland and, all in all, broader shoulders with the new owner."
Sustainability strategy launched in Finland
Eckes-Granini is committed to sustainability that encompasses all aspects of the business. The company has been climate-neutral since 2021.
"For us, sustainability is part of our existence and a core part of our business, more than annual budgeting," says Helokoski.
Within the Group, there is talk of a circle of responsibility that includes climate protection, nutrition, responsible raw materials, employees, social responsibility and packaging materials.
"Originally, the idea originated here in Finland, it is based on the goals of these different areas and commitment to them. We are proud that this way of thinking has spread throughout the Group and we are strongly involved in building the company's sustainability strategy."
The company is constantly looking for sites where recycling or emission reductions can be promoted.
"We talk about responsible procurement, which can be verified through audits."
Responsible sourcing starts with raw materials, e.g. how the farmer cultivates the land or guarantees responsible working conditions, and extends all the way to packaging materials and logistics.
"We have a very precise sieve when choosing partners, and DS Smith is a big strong player in packaging. The most important criteria are quantity, quality and delivery reliability, and these are all in place at DS Smith. New ways to promote the use of recycled materials have also been found together. We are constantly developing new solutions that aim to promote recycling and the use of renewable materials, such as cardboard straws, biodegradable caps or biomaterials for cardboard packaging, all of which we are pioneers."
Functional, economical and responsible packaging
In Helokoski's opinion, there are huge opportunities in the field of packaging materials for improving the circular economy and reducing the use of plastic-based materials.
"The challenge is that the purpose of juice packaging is to protect the product and it must be food-grade, but at the same time responsible, economical and functional. ”
These challenges can be overcome together with an expert packaging partner. Helokoski appreciates involving the customer at an early stage of product development in order to include technical and operational matters.
"Packaging must not eat away at the efficiency of the manufacturing process in order to remain competitive."
According to Helokoski, a good partner also strives to live on the pulse and regularly exchange ideas with the customer.
"We live in a world where predictability and predictability have significantly decreased. Now we need to be able to operate in an agile way, which means that understanding the customer's business and geographical proximity are also essential."