Orkos Estonia Goes Green
Orkos has once again made significant progress in reducing its carbon footprint, with the latest 2022 annual report showing a footprint of just 83g CO2eq per 1kg of production.
Most of the carbon dioxide emissions of LPDE production are related to waste management and the transport of LPDE film waste from Finland, Sweden and the Baltic countries to the production site in Orkos Estonia. The company's production process is based entirely on the recycling of LPDE film waste, which allows to avoid emissions by replacing the primary polyethylene granulate.
The total result of positive and negative (avoided) emissions is -1863 g CO2 eq per 1 kg of reganulate - Impressively, activity-related avoided emissions are about 4.5 times larger than caused emissions, showcasing Orkos' commitment to eco-friendly practices and its drive towards achieving zero carbon emissions.
In accordance with the European Green Deal, Orkos Estonia has taken ambitious steps to move towards carbon neutral production. Our quality management system requires us to conduct a screening carbon footprint (CFP) calculation on a regular basis. At Orkos Estonia, we believe that sharing our principles publicly encourages us and our partners to take vigorous actions in tackling the climate crisis. Changes need self-evaluation, dedication and hard work on a daily basis in order to improve the sustainability of the ecosystem. Orkos Estonia conducted a screening carbon footprint calculation based on the operation data in 2019. Based on the study, Orkos Estonia set an ambitious target to improve its environmental impact constantly and we promise to keep our customers and partners well informed of the developments.
Our goal is to tackle the global issues related to plastic waste and stand for the principles of resource efficiency thorough the value chain. Currently we are focused on film material, but our aim is to widen the scope to other plastic materials that are being used inefficiently. As a result of our daily action, more than 8,000 tons of film waste gets recycled annually, which is more than the film waste collected from the Estonian market in a year.
Sustainability Strategy of Orkos Estonia
Orkos Estonia has implemented a sustainability strategy that focuses on three fields: environmental, social and governance.
Principles of Environmental Sustainability
Taking into consideration the global environmental issues, a shift from comfort-based mass consumption to sustainable need-based consumption is needed. A shift from a linear to a circular economy prevents the escalation of climate issues related to littering. The business model of Orkos Estonia is 100% based on the circular economy and our daily operations are in accordance with the principles of ISO 9001 quality management standard.
We measure the GWP index on a regular basis and we are also dedicated to achieving carbon neutral production by 2022.
From our suppliers we expect the same values and, whenever possible, we use transportation solutions based on bio- or LNG-fuels.
Principles of Social Sustainability
Orkos Estonia has helped to improve public awareness of the importance of the circular economy and waste management by opening its production to the stakeholders active in climate protection. We believe that creating a sustainable future is a collective responsibility.
Principles of Responsible Governance
Orkos Estonia’s management culture can be characterized by transparency and openness throw-out company’s horizontal management structure. We believe that role models are more important than values listed in documents. We are proud of our stable and dedicated employees, especially because our business varies from the traditional manufacturing industry, where the production inputs come from primary raw materials. We use 100% secondary raw material which sets higher expectations on work environment ventilation systems, hygiene conditions and for overall quality management.
