Orion continues to work for Baltic Sea protection by supporting the #OURSEA campaign

“By joining forces, we can still save the Baltic Sea,” says Timo Lappalainen, President and CEO of Orion Corporation. Celebrating their 75th anniversary, Moomins are also participating in the John Nurminen Foundation’s new #OURSEA campaign.

Orion has been the main partner in the John Nurminen Foundation’s Baltic Sea projects since 2018, and the collaboration will continue in 2020. This year Orion is participating in the #OURSEA campaign.

“The well-being of the Baltic Sea and our planet is important for Orion, and we have done more for the environment than the law requires for years now,” says Timo Lappalainen, President and CEO of Orion Corporation.

As Orion has operations in all the countries around the Baltic Sea, it is all the more natural to protect our sea.

“I hope this campaign will raise awareness in the entire Baltic Rim. By joining forces, we can still save #OURSEA. We really appreciate the campaign’s message about saving the Baltic Sea through collaboration,” Lappalainen says.

Campaign launch at Vene 20 Båt boating event in February; Baltic Sea Day celebrated in August 

The Baltic is one of the most polluted seas in the world, and we need immediate action to save it, says the John Nurminen Foundation.The aim of the #OURSEA campaign is to raise awareness of the condition of the Baltic Sea and gather funds for the Foundation’s work to save the sea and its vibrant culture. 

As the John Nurminen Foundation is implementing the campaign in collaboration with Moomin Characters, the world-famous Moomins will invite people and businesses to protect our sea. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of Tove Jansson publishing her first Moomin novel.

Starting in January, the campaign will be launched to the public at the Vene 20 Båt boating event in February. There will be various activities and events throughout the year, including the Baltic Sea Day on 27 August.

The John Nurminen Foundation launched the Baltic Sea Day in 2019. The Foundation hopes that the day will become a tradition that will help increase awareness about the condition of the Baltic Sea while celebrating our very own sea.  

A total of 380,000 kilos of blue-green algae have been removed from the sea with Orion’s help

In 2020, Orion is supporting the #OURSEA campaign by donating EUR 48,000 to the John Nurminen Foundation, which will be used for various Baltic Sea projects.

Eutrophication is still the largest and most visible problem in the Baltic Sea. For ten euros, 40 kilos of blue-green algae can be removed from the sea. In 2018–2019, Orion donated EUR 96,000 to the John Nurminen Foundation, which means that a total of 380,000 kilos of blue-green algae have so far been removed from the Baltic Sea with Orion’s help.

In addition to the general donation to the Foundation, Orion is also supporting the #OURSEA campaign with its own collection campaign. In this popular campaign that has been running for years now, customers collect stamps every time they buy Orion’s self-care products at a pharmacy. With a certain number of stamps, they can then choose a product gift. This year, however, they can also choose an immaterial gift for the Baltic Sea.

“In the collection campaign in spring and autumn 2020, our customers can choose a gift that corresponds to the removal of 40 kilos of blue-green algae from the Baltic Sea. Our customers had already been asking for the option of an immaterial gift, and the #OURSEA campaign gave us an excellent opportunity to meet their wishes,” says Janne Maksimainen, head of Orion’s commercial operations in Finland.

Work for the Baltic Sea complements our everyday work for the planet  

Head of Corporate Responsibility at Orion, Noora Paronen says that caring for the environment is an ongoing process at Orion, and various campaigns and donations for the Baltic Sea provide an added extra.

“We are continuously increasing the sustainability of our operations,” Paronen says.

Orion has managed to minimise the amount of pharmaceutical residue emissions in water systems by directing most of the wastewater to evaporation based on risk assessment and burning the residues. Energy efficiency has also been improved, and several energy saving activities have been successfully implemented. Of the ambitious energy saving target set for 2017–2025, 40 percent has already been achieved.

“In late 2018, Orion also set itself climate targets for the first time. The aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent from the level in 2016 by the year 2025,” Paronen says.

Significant steps have already been taken towards the climate targets, including the decision in 2019 to transfer to 100% green electricity generated by hydro power. This corresponds to about 40 percent of Orion’s total energy consumption.

Orion’s comprehensive environmental responsibility 

Orion’s environmental responsibility goes beyond its own production as it covers the entire lifecycle of its products. Orion assesses the environmental risks of new products, buys raw materials from responsible suppliers, designs product packaging fit for purpose and develops ecological packaging materials.

Moreover, it is also Orion’s responsibility to inform consumers and healthcare professionals about the appropriate use and disposal of pharmaceutical products.

“We cannot solve all the problems on our own, of course. We also need collaboration with trusted partners, such as the John Nurminen Foundation,” Paronen says.