Environmental responsibility 2019

To reduce their environmental impact, companies must choose the right processes right materials and production methods. We recommend our customers to digitalize their processes and to use internationally recognized labels as they are visible indications of environmental responsibility.

Digitalization of the processes

Nordic Morning Group decreases its customers’ environmental impact. All our business units help our customers to both digitalize their processes and make use of modern digital technologies. Digital processes often mean less environmental impact than traditional processes, because there is less need for raw materials and transportations.

• Nordic Morning offers its customers data-driven marketing programs by using AI-based marketing tools. Using data in digital marketing makes the programs more optimized and more effective. For the environment perspective we always try to remove unnecessary or ineffective actions.
• Edita Prima has helped its customers to automate its customer communication processes. This has meant less phases in the work process, less raw material consumption and more efficient transportation methods.
• Edita Publishing offers its customers on-line learning courses which reduces the need to travel and the associated impact on the environment.

The Nordic Ecolabel

The environmental impact of printed products has been considered throughout the production chain, from paper manufacturing to the delivery of the finished product. The printed product fulfills the Nordic Ecolabel’s standards for forest management, pulp and paper manufacturing, printing and waste management.

Edita Prima's printing plant have been granted the right to use the Nordic Ecolabel. The net revenue from products carrying the Nordic Ecolabel was about EUR 134 000 in 2019.

Guarantees of origin – paper

Forest certification ensures that forests are managed according to agreed criteria and that the wood fiber used is monitored from forest to finished product. The forest management criteria apply to matters such as:

• compliance with national laws and international agreements
• respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and of workers
• maintaining the biodiversity of forests
• preserving forests with a significant environmental protection value.

The processes we engage in at Nordic Morning Group’s printing plants to track down the source of paper are certified according to international reference standards. For this reason, our printing companies are entitled to use labels showing that our paper originates from a responsibly chosen source. 

Supply chain

From the perspective of environmental responsibility, Nordic Morning Group’s most significant purchases are those related to the paper and electricity supply chains. We will not procure paper that originates from illegal felling or from forests with a significant environmental protection value. We adhere to the following principles when procuring paper:

• We will scrutinize the environmental responsibility programs and wood procurement principles of paper suppliers.
• We will prioritize paper that carries the Nordic Ecolabel and is CoC certified.
• We will prioritize paper that is manufactured in the Nordic countries.

Nordic Morning Group’s printing plants solely use energy generated from renewable sources. The Helsinki production facility uses hydroelectric power and wood-based biofuels. The goal is that all of the Group companies will use electricity generated from renewable sources.

Chemicals used in printing carry the Nordic Ecolabel. Before introducing a new chemical into the process, its right to carry the Nordic Ecolabel will always be checked with the organization that grants the right to use the label.

Offices

In office work, most of our environmental impact comes from energy consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions caused by travel. Since 2013 we have made a determined effort to centralize our operations and increase our use of premises in and efficient way. In December 2017 all Helsinki offices moved into same premises. In Sweden there have been several moves during the previous years. These has led to increased energy efficiency and improved management of the office practices.

Printing plant

The environmental systems for our production activities ensure that our environmental work is systematic and focused on continuous improvement. The systems also ensure that we follow current environmental legislation. In 2019 Nordic Morning Group only had one printing plant. Edita Prima’s printing plant is located in Helsinki, and it is certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management, and it has published its own annual environmental report since 2004.

In our production activities, the main sources of environmental impact are materials, energy, waste, and emissions. We began measuring our waste volumes regularly in the 1990’s. In 2019, over 90 percent of the total waste volume was recyclable. Over the past decade, the volume of waste that has been sorted separately has increased, but it has become possible to recycle a larger range of materials.

We have positive cash flow from our waste disposal activities: the amount of waste sold brings in more funds than the amount paid for waste disposal.

In 2019, Edita Prima’s operations became more materially efficient than ever before. The amount of waste generated by paper consumption and the amount of waste per revenue dropped to their lowest levels so far. This decrease has been continuing since 2001. The main reason for this positive outcome is the increase in the relative share of automatized production.

Edita Prima’s operations generated 6,3 tonnes hazardous waste. The amount of hazardous waste has dropped to one tenth of the volume in 2011. At the same time the use of solvents has also dropped to 3,0 tonnes which is one sixth of the volume in 2012. These result were achieved primarily from the changes in production technology, with older offset printing machines being partly replaced by digital printing machines.

Climate neutrality

In autumn 2008, Nordic Morning Group began measuring the Group’s total carbon-dioxide emissions. We have already reduced our emissions by 75 percent

One important step in reducing our carbon footprint has been the transition to electricity from renewable sources (green electricity) by all printing companies. In 2019 Edita Prima and Mods Graphic Studio were climate-neutral. They compensate for the remaining emissions by funding UN-supervised clean development mechanism projects in India.

As a company in the communications sector, we have a particular responsibility for promoting environmental awareness among our stakeholders. 

We aim to ensure that the day-to-day decisions made by the Group’s employees comply with the principles of sustainable development both at work and at home.

We help our customers find solutions that are as sustainable as possible.

• Our printing companies use electricity generated from renewable sources.
• We increase the efficiency of our production and office facilities by merging sites.
• We have discontinued the most carbon-intensive production operations.
• We invest in improving energy-efficiency; for example, lighting systems have been replaced at production facilities and the head office.

• We reduce business travel by using video conferencing.
• We use leasing cars that are less harmful to the environment.
• The Group travel policy encourages employees to make environmentally friendly decisions on business trips: the Group companies have offered employees choices such as subsidized public transport tickets and rental city bikes.

• We compensate for carbon-dioxide emissions by funding UN-supervised clean development mechanism projects.
• We use transport services in Finland that are environmentally compensated for.
• We provide training on environmental issues to employees.