Sustainability comes to life when making choices and decisions. As Kiilto was renewing its household cleaning product range, one of the key targets was to make products more sustainable and to take environmental aspects comprehensively into consideration throughout the life cycle of the products.
“The key idea was to develop an efficient and sustainable alternative for consumers. As the favourite brand of household cleaning products in Finland,* we take pride in steering the market to more environmentally friendly products, and soon all our household cleaning products for which Nordic Swan Ecolabel criteria exist indeed have the label,” says Kiilto’s Brand Manager Lotta Rissanen.
Kiilto household cleaning sprays and cleaning agents are made in Hankasalmi. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel guarantees that the products’ environmental impacts have been assessed, the products are proven to be effective and safe for users. No Nordic Swan Ecolabel criteria exists at the moment for cleaning cloths and the spray for washing dishes by hand, so no Ecolabel can be applied.
Sustainability through the product’s life cycle
Kiilto’s goal of being the environmental leader in its industry is taken to the practical level by promoting the goals of Kiilto’s Promise to the Environment. Environmental aspects are viewed extensively in the development of new products, and environmental and safety aspects are considered throughout the entire life cycle of the product: from product development to raw material and packaging choices, production, distribution, use and disposal of the packaging and product residues.
“In recent years, we have systematically developed the biodegradability of our products, sought plant-based raw material choices and started using packaging made of recycled plastic that can be recycled again. Our new household cleaning sprays and agents are 100% quickly biodegradable, mainly 90 to 100% plant-based, and already 65% of Kiilto’s household cleaning products are sold in recycled packaging material,” says Rissanen.
Kiilto’s Promise to the Environment says that the use of fossil and virgin packaging is reduced in the company every year. Kiilto’s goal is that by 2025 a total of 70% of Kiilto’s packaging will be reusable, recyclable or renewable.
The new Kiilto household cleaning sprays are sold in bottles made of 100% recycled plastic, and the packaging reform will reduce the use of virgin plastic by about 50,000 kg per year. In addition to this, the foaming nozzle improves safety as the amount of aerosols released into the air is reduced, thereby reducing the risk of inhaling the product.
“We are working to make our products more environmentally friendly and to support similar development through our own actions. We bear our responsibility for people and the environment – taking into account our customers, staff and the society around us,” says Rissanen.
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*Kiilto is the number one household cleaning brand in Finland: 37% of Finns use Kiilto products regularly. Kiilto is also the favourite household cleaning brand in Finland. Source: Kantar TNS Brand Tracking 2022, N = 555