Tokmanni will celebrate Baltic Sea Day in the familiar way – By supporting the work to protect the Baltic Sea, one of the world's most polluted seas, with a donation of EUR 80,000

Tokmanni     Press release     24 August 2021 at 5:00 p.m.

Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt, Managing Director of the John Nurminen Foundation, right, receiving a plaque commemorating the donation of EUR 80,000 to the Clean Baltic Sea projects from Tiina Lipponen, Buyer, left, in Helsinki on Monday 23 August 2021. Image: John Nurminen Foundation

Tokmanni will celebrate Baltic Sea Day, held on Thursday 26 August, by donating EUR 80,000 for the protection of the Baltic Sea through the John Nurminen Foundation. The donation will go towards supporting the foundation’s Clean Baltic Sea projects, which aim to reduce the nutrient load and environmental risks faced by the Baltic Sea. Tokmanni’s donation of EUR 53,000 last year also supported the Clean Baltic Sea projects, and thus the tangible and effective work to protect the Baltic Sea, which is among the most polluted seas of the world.

Tokmanni’s customers and its private label brand Pisara, which focuses on beauty and cleaning products, have again played an important role in the cooperation between the general discount retailer and the John Nurminen Foundation this year. Under the Pisara – Protecting the Baltic Sea cooperation, Tokmanni is donating five cents to the Foundation for the protection of the Baltic Sea for each Pisara product it sells from May through to the end of August this year. Tokmanni and the John Nurminen Foundation have made it very easy for customers to participate in the campaign as it lasts more than one hundred days and there are more than one hundred skin, body and hair care products included in the Pisara assortments.

“It has again been wonderful to see that our customers understand the importance of protecting the wellbeing of the Baltic Sea and its valuable cultural heritage and have eagerly participated in boosting the size of the donation. Our employees also deserve a huge thank you for the EUR 80,000 donation, as they have done an excellent job to ensure the success of the charity campaign once again this year,” says Tiina Lipponen, Buyer, home and personal care at Tokmanni, who participated in the donation event on Monday.

Impactful work to reduce the load on the Baltic Sea and its environmental risks

The Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world, and its most serious environmental problem is eutrophication. Eutrophication is caused by nitrogen and phosphorous emissions, which feed the growth of algae and aquatic plants in water.

“Some of the most visible signs of eutrophication in the Baltic Sea include cloudy waters, slimy shores and blue-green algae blooms. Nitrogen and phosphorus, which cause eutrophication, end up in the sea via urban wastewater and forest and agricultural land runoff, for example. Some of the nitrogen emissions from transport also end up in the Baltic Sea as a result of atmospheric deposition,” explains Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt, Managing Director of the John Nurminen Foundation.

Tokmanni is very happy to be able to support the John Nurminen Foundation as its work to protect the Baltic Sea is guided by measurable results and impact. During the period 2005–2021, the John Nurminen Foundation has launched almost 40 Clean Baltic Sea projects and 30 of these have been completed. Working in collaboration with various stakeholders, the Foundation has, within less than a decade, succeeded in reducing the eutrophicating phosphorus load of the Gulf of Finland alone by up to 75 per cent.

“There is still a huge need for protection work. Our projects reduce eutrophic emissions into the Baltic Sea from municipal wastewater treatment plants and industry. They also reduce non-point loads from agriculture using various water protection methods. We also eliminate existing loads that are already in the sea using methods such as selective fishing and reed mowing, and we study new ways of mitigating internal loads affecting the sea,” says Arrakoski-Engardt.

“We are extremely grateful to Tokmanni and its customers for this donation which will help us to continue our work to protect the Baltic Sea,” says Arrakoski-Engardt.


Tokmanni and the John Nurminen Foundation would like to encourage everyone to read about the Foundation’s activities at www.johnnurmisensaatio.fi/en and about the Clean Baltic Sea projects at www.johnnurmisensaatio.fi/en/projects.


TOKMANNI AND JOHN NURMINEN FOUNDATION


For further information, please contact:


Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt
Managing Director
John Nurminen Foundation

Tel. +358 400 477 878
annamari.arrakoski-engardt(at)jnfoundation.fi


Maarit Mikkonen
Head of IR and Communications
Tokmanni

Tel. +358 40 562 2282
maarit.mikkonen(at)tokmanni.fi


John Nurminen Foundation

Founded in 1992, the purpose of the John Nurminen Foundation is to save the Baltic Sea and its heritage for future generations. The Foundation is an award-winning communicator of cultural works and producer of marine cultural content. The goal of the Foundation’s Clean Baltic Sea projects is to improve the condition of the Baltic Sea with tangible measures that will reduce the load and environmental risks directed at the sea. The work is steered by measurable results and impact. www.johnnurmisensaatio.fi/en


Tokmanni

Tokmanni is Finland’s leading variety discount retailer. Some 4,000 Tokmanni employees make customers’ everyday life and special occasions easier by offering a versatile and up-to-date assortment of Finnish and international brand-name products and other high-quality products at prices that are always affordable. With nearly 200 stores around Finland and an online store, Tokmanni is always close to its customers. Tokmanni’s revenue in 2020 amounted to EUR 1,073.2 million. Tokmanni shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.