Fiskars Group is the global home for design-driven brands, specializing in long lasting and timeless products for indoor and outdoor living. The company was the first to utilize Outokumpu’s new Circle Green, the world’s most sustainable stainless steel, as a raw material in cookware products made at Fiskars Group’s Sorsakoski Factory in Finland. The use of emission-minimized stainless steel supports the company’s transformation into a carbon neutral business.
Outokumpu Circle Green – Joining forces with Fiskars Group
Durable and sustainable cookware from stainless steel
Stainless steel is widely used in Fiskars Group’s products. As a durable and sustainable material it is a key material not only in cookware but also in scissors and gardening tools.
As a material for cookware products, stainless steel offers both appeal and strength. It performs equally well in both high and low temperatures, and it does so with impressive durability. Exceptional hygiene, safety, strength and formability are the key properties that have made stainless steel the material of choice for a wide range of cookware products.
Outokumpu and Fiskars Group share a similar broad-scoped approach, ambition, and commitments to sustainability. In addition to supporting the company's transformation to a carbon neutral business, using stainless steel made from recycled steel supports Fiskars Group’s target of having the majority of the company’s net sales coming from circular products and services by 2030.
“No one can make it alone in a circular economy”
Outokumpu and Fiskars Group collaboration is based on long-term partnership and common views on sustainability. The two companies have a long history together as Outokumpu is a long-term partner and supplier of stainless steel for Fiskars Group’s Sorsakoski Factory in Finland. Fiskars Group’s Vice President of Sustainability, Kati Ihamäki, encourages companies to do more collaboration to reach the environmental goals:
“As Finnish companies we want to be pioneers in sustainability, and really walk the talk. No one can make it alone in a circular economy. Partnerships are key to more sustainable business in all areas”, she says.
According to Ihamäki, the advantages of the Sorsakoski and Outokumpu collaboration are pioneering materials, short distances and well-known partners:
“Fiskars has been manufacturing in Sorsakoski for several decades. Sorsakoski is our own factory and we are proud of it - we have talented professionals working there. Supply chain optimization works well with Outokumpu as we are both operating in Finland. It’s convenient when the production and raw materials are close to each other”, she says.
Towards cookware that lasts forever
For Fiskars, designing for the long-term – for durability and sustainability in use, and recyclability after it – is essential. Durability and functionality are increasingly important to the consumer and will continue to be a priority also in the future. In addition to using sustainable materials, Fiskars is working to extend the lifecycle of cookware products by providing maintenance services. For selected Fiskars Group brands, there’s also a Vintage service for consumers who are interested in second-hand kitchenware. According to Ihamäki, the goal is to make products that can be inherited from one generation to another: “The trend is clear: people want to contribute towards a positive change with their purchasing decisions. At Fiskars Group, we fight against the throwaway culture by making products that can be given from one user to another. Long-lasting design is also a better option financially. No one wants to throw away their favorite pan!”, she adds.
Outokumpu Circle Green
The new standard for sustainable stainless steel with 93% lower carbon footprint.