The journey into circular economy: Milestones and setbacks on the road to the circular economy

Peikko has made a circular journey that has been winding and rich in different events. The journey has included both great successes and complete blunders.

Change should always begin from the top and back in 2016, Peikko’s management realized that the global building industry was in immediate need of change. In Peikko, this was recognized as a need for developing the solutions to enable the reuse of the building components, produced with the minimized environmental footprint.

It was clear from the beginning that the change could not be carried out alone, but finding the right stakeholders for cooperation is crucial. By participating in various events and through open discussions, it started to be clearer what else it takes to be in the frontline of circular change: One must try things out in practice, find and empower dedicated people, the solutions should be developed to be internationally scalable and based on scientific proof, and one must remain flexible for meeting the requirements of the changing environment. By following these fundamentals and taking steps both forward and backwards, Peikko has proceeded towards circular solutions and claimed its position as one of the forerunners of its niche field.

Peikko’s journey into circular economy is just in the starting phase. Nevertheless, during this journey Peikko has been able to create a significant turnover from products with lower CO2 emissions, or from products that have otherwise enabled construction with lower CO2 emissions. Without the focus on Circular Economy in 2017, these products would not have been created.

Peikko’s sales of products that enable the easy disassembly and reuse of building components are still marginal, however, Peikko is in the leading position when the markets are ready for them, with several patented solutions. Peikko has also been able to generate a lot of positive publicity and good will from its customers on its circular and sustainable solutions

Read the new White Paper, authored by Topi Paananen and Jaakko Yrjölä, to learn more.