Record interest in our recycled products
2022 was the year in which we at Prevex took a giant leap forwards in our sustainability work. At the beginning of the year, we had not a single product made from recycled plastic, but by the end of the year all our products contained around 45 per cent recycled raw material. Our sustainability work is based on the principle of maximum impact, which is why we have chosen to change the raw materials in all our products instead of just making a green product range. The work will continue in the years to come and, by 2025, 90 per cent of the raw material will be recycled. It is worth noting that product quality remains unchanged.
So how has Prevex’s sustainability work been received? With great interest, we can safely say. We have never had as many customer visits to our factory as in the autumn of 2022, by both old customers and potential new customers. In addition, Prevex has been honoured to be selected as a member of a group that will develop a sustainability handbook for companies under the leadership of the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK).
I therefore look to the future with great confidence, even though the war in Ukraine has affected the market for us in the short term. I am convinced that Prevex’s environmentally friendly products will be a competitive factor in the future, because no competitor has come as far on its sustainability journey as Prevex. Our strategy of continued growth remains firm and the current war-induced slowdown is temporary. In addition, at some stage there will be reconstruction, which will boost the construction sector and therefore also our water traps.
Bringing about such major change as we did at Prevex is easier if it can be limited to one country and two factories. This was one of the reasons why we decided in 2022 to close our factory in Poland. Another reason was a strategic reassessment that means we now want to focus on larger customers and larger series combined with a higher level of automation. The need for the manual labour we had in Poland has decreased. At the same time, we continued to develop our second factory in Finland, the one in Jakobstad, during the year. The aim is to optimise our production processes, and this work will continue in 2023.
We carried out several small initiatives in relation to our employees during the year that have nevertheless had a big impact. I am proud to say that Prevex spent more money on prevention than on healthcare in 2022. Not many companies in the manufacturing industry have achieved such a result. The investments we made in training and ergonomics, for example, are not special in themselves, but thanks to the large number of them and the determination with which they were carried out, they have nevertheless had a great impact.
Marko Nylund, CEO, Prevex
Prevex – The world’s most sustainable water trap
- Prevex is one of the few companies in the world specialising in water traps for kitchens and bathrooms.
- All products are manufactured in Finland.
- The water traps combine many smart features such as being flexible, space-saving and easy to clean.
- Research and development are important to Prevex, and development work is usually carried out in partnership with customers.
- In recent years, development work has focused on sustainability issues, and Prevex is the industry leader in sustainability work.
- All the company’s products contain 45 per cent recycled raw materials.
- All the energy the company uses has long been emission-free.
- In 2023, Prevex will achieve operational carbon neutrality.
- Total carbon dioxide emissions (including scope 3) will be reduced by a third by 2025.
