“Where can I buy these for home use? I’d like to bring some cup-based Kotka expertise as a gift when visiting friends.” These sentences have been frequently heard ever since the cups made from Kotkamills’ plastic-free cupstock were first manufactured. Plastic-free coffee cupstock was launched in the markets in early summer 2018; the coffee cups – and today also mugs – have been used e.g. in eateries and at public events, but cups made from the ISLA® barrier board have rarely been available in retail stores.
But now that has changed. Packaging manufacturer PackageMedia, operating in Inkeroinen, Kouvola, created a unique, local cup series called “Images from Kouvola” and “Images from Kotka” for Prisma stores in the Kymenlaakso region; the cups are made from Kotkamills’ plastic-free and easy-to-recycle cupstock. The images depict the local attractions, nature, and other sources of pride of these two cities. The Kouvola-themed cups can be purchased in a 25-cup retail package at Prisma in Kouvola, and the Kotka-themed cups are available at the Sutela Prisma in Kotka. It’s easy to grab some cups while doing your regular grocery shopping, and a package of cups is always a welcomed and practical gift to bring when visiting a summer cabin. Each city’s series of cups contains six different images, the number of which varies in the consumer packages, so each family member can choose their own image and use the cup they selected multiple times throughout the summer day without mixing it up with a cup used by someone else. After use, the plastic-free cup is easy to recycle with other cardboard packaging.
“The series of cups depicting the local region in a fun way is a nice gift to bring and an easy outdoor table-setting that sparks positive interest towards the entire Kymenlaakso region. There is plenty to see and do here, and the images on the cups inspire people to find out more about the travel opportunities in the region and learn more about our region. The entire plastic-free realisation – from the raw material to the end product – has been brainstormed and manufactured with Kymenlaakso-based expertise. The cupstock is manufactured at Kotkamills in Kotka, and we design and print the cups at PackageMedia’s printing house in Inkeroinen. The retail sales at Kymen Seudun Osuuskauppa (KSO) co-operative’s Prisma stores makes the easy-to-recycle paper cups available to all consumers,” says PackageMedia’s CEO Mauri Reinilä.
“Individuality is interesting, and that’s why each cup manufactured can be unique. In addition to the stylish digital print, attributes that bring added value can be linked to the take-away products. How does it sound to use a paper cup as a ‘key’ that unlocks interesting digital services and gamified content? Or a take-away container that functions as a ‘currency’ in your community,” Reinilä notes.
“Take-away containers are a new marketing channel. Utilising paper containers as a media channel is also responsible when the products manufactured do more than just store and transport food. Take[1]away containers make it possible to do marketing initiatives, fast-cycled campaigns, hyper-local and customised campaigns, and other fresh solutions. We are delighted that our plastic-free board offers an eco-friendly print surface for these applications and that it works for its original purpose as a beverage cup,” adds Kotkamills’ CEO Markku Hämäläinen.
Kymen Seudun Osuuskauppa co-operative was a natural channel for introducing the new ecological paper cups to retail stores. Cups made from Kotkamills’ board have been used at KSO’s hotels already for a couple of years, so they were familiar with the product. The Prisma stores in Kouvola and Kotka started offering the hometown cup series just before Midsummer. “It’s a matter of honour for us to offer consumers sustainable options for everyday consumption situations and for summer outings and celebrations, for example. It’s great to be part of innovative collaboration in the Kymenlaakso region. Environmental responsibility is a vital part of our daily operations, and therefore we are delighted to be able to deliver this message to our customers' daily life as well,” says KSO’s Commercial Director Ari Hyytiä.
Further information:
Kotkamills Oy
Markku Hämäläinen
CEO
tel. +358 40 721 0548
[email protected]
PackageMedia
Mauri Reinilä
CEO
tel. +358 40 545 3497
[email protected]
Kymen Seudun Osuuskauppa (KSO)
Ari Hyytiä
Commercial Director
tel. +358 10 76 24013
[email protected]
Kotkamills in brief
Kotkamills, located in Finland, is an experienced and responsible global partner, manufacturing innovative products created from wood, a renewable natural resource. Our range of sustainable products includes food-safe consumer boards, the highquality saturating base kraft paper Absorbex®, and ecological wood products. The fully recyclable AEGLE® and ISLA® boards, produced since 2016, were complemented in 2018 with water-based dispersion barriers, replacing plastics used in packaging and food service applications. All our products are environmentally friendly, recyclable and safe to use. www.kotkamills.com
PackageMedia in brief
PackageMedia Oy has built a strong pioneering position as an implementer of digital service concepts related to packaging.PackageMedia is the largest 100% digital carton packaging plant in the Nordic countries and operates in Kouvola (Finland) as part of the Pyroll packaging family. We connect the digital and physical worlds. We produce physical packaging products combined also with online services as end-to-end solutions. Plastic-free cardboard cups and take-away packaging are a natural continuation for us on the road to more responsible and efficient use of interactive cardboard packaging.
KSO in brief
Kymen Seudun Osuuskauppa (KSO) is a co-operative doing business in the grocery and supermarket business, travel, restaurant and recreational business, as well as fuel and other services for motorists. It offers services at about 100 sites in the Kymenlaakso region. Kymen Seudun Osuuskauppa is owned by more than 86,300 Kymenlaakso households, and it employs 1,600 professionals in various fields.
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