FINLAND – Valio, a leading dairy company, has voluntarily entered into a Green Deal agreement, setting forth a pledge to curtail the volume of plastic in its single-use, single-serving packaging by 15% before the culmination of 2026, in comparison to the levels recorded in 2022.
Under this commitment, Valio intends to transition all Valio PROfeel quark products to recyclable paperboard cups, an initiative expected to substantially diminish plastic usage by a significant 143 tonnes.
This progressive move aligns harmoniously with the national objective aimed at reducing single-use, single-serving plastic packaging and bolsters sustainability endeavors within Finland.
Over the years, Valio has actively taken steps to reduce plastic in its packaging. These measures have included eliminating detachable lids/caps, plastic spoons, and straws from single-serving packages, as well as using thinner plastic in packaging.
Juhana Pilkama, Valio’s Head of Packaging Development, accentuated the implementation of paperboard cups in single-serving yoghurt packaging, which has been in practice since 2021.
Pilkama outlined the company’s vision for all packaging to be suitably designed for a genuinely circular economy by the culmination of 2025, ensuring the potential for new products to be fashioned from recycled materials.
“Our continuous packaging development aims to be in sync with the principles of a circular economy, minimizing its environmental impact. We have incorporated user-friendly recycling instructions on our packaging to facilitate seamless recycling for everyone,” stated Pilkama.
He emphasized that the Green Deal agreement is an integral part of Finland’s multifaceted approach to addressing climate challenges, biodiversity depletion, overconsumption of natural resources, and the promotion of circular economy principles.
These voluntary agreements signify collaborative efforts between the government, businesses, and public sector entities to pursue sustainable development goals without the imposition of additional legislative measures.
Pilkama also highlighted that these Green Deal agreements possess the capability to complement existing legislation, indicating the potential for the establishment of more stringent targets than what legislative mandates may entail. Certain objectives can be achieved without the need for additional national regulations.
“Voluntary agreements offer us more flexibility than legislation, enabling the identification of efficient and timely solutions to accomplish our collective goals,” added Pilkama.
Valio’s dedication to reducing plastic in single-serving packaging is a proactive response to the Single-Use Plastics Directive, initiated in 2019.
This directive is specifically designed to curtail plastic waste, particularly in natural environments, and advance the principles of the circular economy.
Valio’s proactive efforts not only contribute significantly to this directive but also underscore the company’s unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability.
