More Joy Company has always acted responsibly. We have closely followed the suppliers of materials and the entire network with which we interact. More Joy Team wants to be a reliable and transparent partner: We document the various aspects of our entire business. As a partner, we used the environmental system of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, EcoCompass. We got environmental expert Mikko Heikkinen to lead the process. More Joy was granted the Ecocompass Certificate 2022. The whole process was rewarding. Below I will tell you more about our operations and our environmental thinking.
Environmental responsibility
Environmental responsibility has been important part of our strategy since its inception in 1997. We operate in the countryside and print biodegradable textiles in our own production facility; dishcloths and kitchen towels. We want to bring more joy to everyday life with Finnish design and consumer products that are durable. Environmental issues are part of our entire decision-making and processes; from the need-based design of products to sustainable use and ultimately disposal as biowaste. Did you know that 17 rolls of kitchen paper can be replaced with a dishcloth? Both will rot, but if you compare the volume measures of 17 rolls of kitchen paper and one dishcloth, you will find that there are significant savings in transportation costs alone.
Auditated materialproducers and waterless productionlines
Our production manager, Mikko Myllymäki audited the Swedish manufacturer. We did not receive any documents related to the materials. Nor did we find out the origin of the cellulose upon request. Access to the after-treatment was prevented. The German factory guided us through the whole process. We got the certificates. We looked at all the warehouses, the fiber transport packaging and the processes. Susanna Myllymäki were also able to interview the workers at the factory. The German facture uses the world’s purest, Norwegian FSC-certified cellulose to save water and extra washes in production processes. Cotton is Indian, unfit for yarn making. Cottonfibers are too short, so instead of ending up as waste, it ends up as a dishcloth material. The salt and water in the process are recycled and reused. We, at More Joy printing factory have already replaced 90% of our printing line with a completely waterless option and built a digital printing line by 2020. By the end of 2025, we will be phasing out water-based screen printing technology.
Improving energy and material efficiency is part of our daily lives. We are currently investigating the utilization of solar and wind energy and the most reasonable time for the transition. Renovation of lighting for LED lights has started in 2020 and we encourage all our customers to do the same.
Sorting of waste
We measure and report our environmental impact annually and set new goals to develop more environmentally friendly operations. The sorting of waste continued to develop in the EcoCompass process, and although we produce very little waste, we learn that our energy waste is mainly cardboard waste – a new address for base papers for adhesive tapes and sheets. How can you test this at home? Tear paper/plastic film-like material half. If it doesn’t stretch stubbornly but tears so you can see the fibrous fringe at the edge of the tear, you put it in the cardboard waste. What about the lids of different yogurt jars? Wrinkle the lid in your hand. If it wrinkles, sort into scrap metal. If the lid opens, sort into plastic waste. Dishcloth is discarded as in the blog picture: Wrap the herb around it and plant it in a breathable pot. The cloth moisturizes and eventually fades completely – zerowaste!
Collaboration with organizations
We also work with various organizations. We support the activities of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation and WWF every year. In the past, we have been working with Plan International for several years to build schools for girls in developing countries. So why have we chosen these partners? Because their operations are open, transparent and cost-effective, and administrative costs do not exceed 20% of turnover.
By setting an example, we want to encourage our customers to develop their operations in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. We are also in Finnish Eco-Entrepreneurs. Together we strongly promote environmentally friendly consumer behavior. Together we are always more.
Future goals
You have just read the main points of our environmental promise. Now we have a carefully documented program and EcoCompass Certificate to follow. However, that is not enough, and our next goal is an international ISO 14001 environmental certificate, ie an increasingly extensive and precise program for the benefit of our own environment.