Business Planet heads to Latvia to see how the country's biggest household chemical and cosmetics maker is profiting thanks to its eco-minded strategy.

When an enterprise makes a concerted effort to reduce its environmental impact, that is better for the planet, but it can also be good for business. JSC Spodriba is one such company. Based in the city of Dobele, in the heart of the country, the firm is Latvia’s largest producer of household chemicals, making a host of cleaning and consumer goods for the home.

Reaping the rewards

That move to produce more environmentally friendly products has paid off. The firm’s eco-range now represents nearly 25 per cent of total turnover. But JSC Spodriba is not resting on its laurels. The company has recently obtained new equipment to develop even greener household products through an EU funded project called LIFE/Fit for REACH.

Coordinated by the Baltic Environmental Forum Latvia, the project is designed to help firms in the Baltic region comply with Europe’s stringent chemical rules.

"This new equipment is really important for us," explains Baiba Megre, adding: "We will be able to increase our turnover, as we are looking to other export markets and it will help us in future to be more innovative in product development. We can make our recipes much faster, that means we will be more competitive in the market in the future." -- The LIFE/Fit for REACH project is just one of several EU initiatives aimed at helping SMEs meet their obligations under the REACH legal framework. Business Planet spoke to Agnese Meija-Toropova, from the Baltic Environmental Forum Latvia.

 

Source:
Text: Euronews

Video: Euronews Channel - Youtube