Flickering and broken fluorescent tubes, and an electricity meter that glows red in the dark. This may be a familiar sight at many production facilities, but not at Otava Book Printing Ltd in Keuruu.

Otava Book Printing Ltd has been printing books in Keuruu for more than a hundred years. As a Finnish printer, Otava prints books that have been produced responsibly in all ways. The books are printed in Finland, efficiently and with respect for the environment.

A significant proportion of the paper and cardboard used by Otava Book Printing Ltd comes from certified domestic sources. Waste recycling is routine, and production waste is sorted where it is generated. 97 per cent of production by-products are reused, of which about 5 per cent are used in waste-to-energy production. Less than one per cent of all waste ends up in landfill. A more comprehensive analysis of energy usage also opened our eyes to the significance of lighting.

Dim, old-fashioned lighting is an energy leech that also has a negative impact on comfort and safety at work.

One of the most important reasons for switching to LED lighting was to reduce our carbon footprint. At least as important was to invest in comfort and safety at work. Everything we do at Otava starts with people.

The Finnish company Greenled was a natural partner when Otava decided to renew the lighting at its printing press. Greenled’s lights are manufactured in Finland and are one-hundred-per-cent recyclable. Using LED lights in conjunction with smart lighting control also generates considerable energy savings and reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

The fact that Greenled is a Finnish company was also a major factor in the decision – both Otava Book Printing Ltd and Greenled have the right to use the Key Flag in recognition of the Finnishness of both their production and final products.

In addition to new lighting, the printing press was also equipped with a smart lighting control system that makes it easy and intuitive to control and automate lighting, and also monitor its energy consumption.

Otava Book Printing Ltd has achieved energy savings of 75 per cent compared to its former lighting. This means a 91 ton reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

And it also brightened my day to hear comments like these in production: “Hey, you can actually see in here!”

Marko Silventoinen
CEO
Otava Book Printing Ltd

“Every day is an opportunity – a chance to learn something new, to share your expertise, and to create a foundation for future success.”