BIG LURES, SMALL (CARBON) FOOTPRINT

From by-products to ‘oh my’ products.

There are many ways of utilizing our production’s by-products that would otherwise go to waste. We know that for a fact – and we’re working on it. Together with research laboratories and universities, we are investigating new ways of including our by-products to improve our material efficiency. We believe we can make high-quality second-generation Rapala products using our sidestreams. 100 % of the plastic waste that is generated in our lure production is recycled in new lures. Waste is only waste if you waste it.

Stick it to the throwaway culture.

We design our products for an extended life cycle, with durability at the core of our product development. Every product goes through rigorous testing before entering the store shelf. They are held to high standards for quality, and that’s why we test them, again and again. Even today, most of our diving lip -equipped Rapala baits are hand-tuned and tank-tested to make sure the swimming action is precisely as it should. We also guide anglers on how to take proper care of their products – so they can last for generations.

Nature must be handled with care.

Angling is not only about the thrill of the chase and the excitement of the catch – it’s also about respect. Respect towards nature and its resources. The best way to show that respect is to take all measures to avoid any unnecessary harm to the fish. We provide anglers with information on how to handle the fish with care and compassion. And we abide by those guidelines ourselves, as well.

Reinvent, recycle, reduce.

We design our products to meet the highest demands of modern anglers. In other words, they need to be good – really good. But never at the environment’s expense. We are constantly looking into new ways of including more ecological materials in our products while maintaining the high quality we are known for. And we’re already taking the steps towards that goal. When making Rapala hard baits, we use lead-free weights wherever it’s possible. 85 % of Rapala hard baits are lead-free – and we aim to get that percentage up to 100. Furthermore, 100 % of the balsa wood we use is FSC-certified. And when we must use plastic, we seek the sustainable option – for instance, we use bio-based plastic to make the diving lips for our Rapala hard baits. And the search goes on.

Dumpster diving to make new products.

Making products always requires energy. That’s an inescapable fact. But that doesn’t mean the process can’t be improved. That’s why we design our products to be as resource-efficient as possible. Instead of throwing it away, we reuse all the scrap plastic resulting from our production to make new lures. VMC, our brand known for needle-sharp hooks, is shifting to using only recycled water. Their aim is to use 100 % recycled water by 2030.

Considering the number of products we ship every day, even small improvements lead to significant results. Our long-term goal is to shift completely to renewable energy – and the journey has already begun. Marttiini’s production runs completely on renewable energy – as does Rapala’s lure production units in Europe.

All fishing buddies welcomed.

All members of the Rapala VMC family are equally important – it’s as simple as that. No matter the age, gender, origins, or personal beliefs. We believe that people with different backgrounds are an asset. That is what we are, and always have been, committed to. In 2021, 51 % of our employees were women, and we are committed to fostering the values of diversity, inclusion, and equality every day.

Out with the carbon, in with the trees!

We are continuously monitoring our carbon emissions to find new ways to reduce our carbon footprint – one of our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The more we diminish that footprint, the less we’ll affect the nature surrounding us. We have already made significant investments to reduce the emissions of the Rapala lure manufacturing units, for instance. Our target is to reduce our carbon footprint by 25 % by 2025. Since 2015, we have reduced our VOC emissions by 13 %.

While striving for a constantly reduced carbon footprint, we effectively compensate our emissions in cooperation with several local organizations. Marttiini is working together with Reforest to compensate for their production’s carbon emissions, making Marttiini’s production carbon-neutral since 2021.

Great products deserve great packaging.

We are proud of our products. Every one of them is made with care and according to high standards. That’s why we want to protect them with packaging that’s equally good. Packaging protects the product, increases its shelf-life, and offers valuable information to the anglers. We aim to make our packaging impactful yet ecological.

We have already taken significant steps towards this goal. We are replacing the plastic used in our packaging with plastic-free alternatives while featuring more recycled and recyclable materials. For example, Sufix’s Recycline Monofilament comes in a packaging made 100 % recycled cardboard, Rapala’s Flash-X lures feature a new kind of zero-plastic packaging, and many of Marttiini’s knives are sold completely without packaging.