In October, Kesko recognized its partners during an annual partnership event. Kiilto was awarded the title of “Most impactful sustainability partner of 2025” in the K-Rauta category. Awards were presented across five categories to suppliers of K-Rauta and Onninen.
Kiilto was selected based on its long-term commitment to advancing sustainability. Kiilto’s Promise to the Environment and the wide availability of up-to-date Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) were also highlighted in the selection criteria. An EPD document outlines the environmental impacts of a product throughout its lifecycle.
Continuous development in environmental responsibility
Reducing environmental impact has been a central focus of Kiilto’s operations for years. In recent years, efforts have also been directed toward promoting the circular economy and exploring what regenerative business could mean across different business areas.
“We’ve taken many steps to advance environmental responsibility. In our construction business, for example, we’ve increased the use of recycled materials in packaging, reduced the use of virgin plastic, and modified and developed product formulations”, says Anssi Rajanen, Head of Sales for Kiilto’s construction business.
Although Kiilto, as a manufacturing company, has been able to improve many aspects of its own operations, many improvements are made in collaboration with partners. One of the latest changes has been a 90% reduction in transport emissions in Finland, achieved by switching to lower-emission alternatives in cooperation with logistics partners. You can read more about this topic here.
Additionally, Kiilto is exploring alternatives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cement, which is used as a raw material in Kiilto’s dry mix products.
“Our goal is to transition to the CEM2 classification, where cement is blended with materials like limestone. This helps reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of cement”, Rajanen explains.
Growing awareness of sustainability in the construction industry
Sustainability and especially environmental aspects have become increasingly important in the construction industry. Awareness is growing, and clients are demanding concrete actions from companies. Kiilto trains around 2,700 construction professionals annually in Finland, and every training session includes a focus on environmental responsibility, from product selection to proper use, recycling, and disposal. Occupational safety is also a key aspect of sustainability.
“Sustainability is not a separate topic, it’s part of everything we do. And it’s a path we intend to stay on”, Rajanen concludes.