Helsinki Mills takes actions for sustainability

Helsinki Mills new products are printed with Expanded Gamut Printing

The last few years have changed the world. First, we have talked about climate change, and then the pandemic hit. Both phenomena have affected our choices, and discussions about sustainability have turned into concrete actions.

What is the tolerable price for environmental sustainability? According to a recent survey by McKinsey*, three out of four German consumers pay attention to products related to sustainable development. The survey shows that about 50% of consumers spend more money on sustainable products than before the pandemic, and two out of three would buy more sustainable products if they were less expensive.

Companies’ choices and environmental actions are at the center of attention at the moment. Helsinki Mills, producer of the Myllärin products, is a pioneer in sustainability. The company’s choices include focusing on local Finnish ingredients, making organic products, using recyclable packaging materials, reducing its carbon footprint and moving to carbon-neutral production. Yet, when the most obvious means have been used, new solutions are needed.

Helsinki Mills is one of the first FMCG brand owners to use EGP™ (Expanded Gamut Printing), an efficient way of reducing the environmental impact of packaging. The company has expanded its use of EGP from flexo-printed flexible packaging to offset-printed cardboard packaging. Marketing Manager Minna Anttonen says that the GreenerPrinting™ label on the Myllärin products signals to consumers that the company has made a sustainable choice regarding the printing technique.

“Most of the Myllärin packages will change in 2021, and we will also get to show the GreenerPrinting™ label extensively,” Anttonen states. The reform of the cereal flake boxes has been implemented using EGP in cooperation with Marvaco, the producer of the prepress materials, and the Tako Carton Plant, the manufacturer of the packages. In addition to sustainability, the printing technique has also improved the quality and proof correspondence of printing, as well as product uniformity between materials and printing methods.

The aim is to have strong and clear color lines on the new Myllärin packages. For example, the base color of the packages for cereal flakes, flour and meal mixes is black, which highlights the illustrations nicely. Anttonen says that images of delicious and appealing products have been key in the design, and it is important that the high-quality printing reproduces the designer’s vision on the packaging.

“We want to show that our ingredients and production are sustainable, which is why the new packages pay greater attention to local ingredients and carbon-neutral production,” Anttonen explains. A label indicating environmentally friendly packaging printing fits into this entity excellently. “Sustainability also plays a major role for our customers, meaning large retail operators, and the products’ added value related to sustainability may interest them. It is great to be able to tell them in just how many ways the products are sustainable,” Anttonen says.

However, sustainable choices are not always the least expensive option. Still, the values and long-term strategy of Helsinki Mills direct the company to put sustainability first when making decisions. These choices do not affect the consumer prices of the products – the retail price of the more sustainable Myllärin products is the same as before.

More information:
Minna Anttonen, Marketing Manager, Helsinki Mills Ltd
Tel. +358 (0)50 589 5784, email: minna.anttonen@helsinginmylly.fi
Mirva Koskinen, Brand Sales Manager, Marvaco Oy
Tel. +358 (0)40 521 4179, email: mirva.koskinen@marvaco.com 

*McKinsey survey about sustainable consumption trends (published on 17 May 2021) https://www.presseportal.de/pm/14454/4916772

The EGP™ technology is based on standardized process color palette in which the need for spot color ink changes and the related process cleaning are minimized. This, along with many other qualities of EGP, reduces the printing method’s environmental impact. Marvaco is the European pioneer in EGP and the leading prepress service provider in the Nordic region. 

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#HelsinginMylly #Myllarin #Sustainability #Carbonfootprint #Marvaco #GreenerPrinting #EGP #ExpandedGamut #CMYKOGV #EcoEfficiency #FMCG #BrandColors #Pakkaus #Packaging #Flexo #Flexography #Offset