Responsibility
Responsibility at Löyly
Responsibility means concrete actions for us, from the choice of building and interior materials to the ingredient choices on our menu.
We know our environmental and climate impacts and are actively working to reduce them. Environmental issues were already involved in the design of the Löyly building as well as the restaurant’s menu. We work daily to find new solutions to minimize our carbon footprint.
The world ‘s most significant sauna building
FSC certified
The Löyly building is the first building in Finland and the second in the Nordic countries to receive FSC project certification. The origin of the wood used in the building has been verified. Wood is widely considered a sustainable building solution. What matters is the source of the wood material and how the forest has been managed. The FSC certificate is a sign of responsible forest management that takes into account biodiversity and social rights.
All building materials used in the building are natural and durable. Avanto Architects Anu Puustinen and Ville Hara, who designed the complex, took responsible materials into account in their design work. The architectural idea is simple: the warm spaces are housed in a black rectangular box covered by a free-form wooden “fluff”. The sculptural structure made of heat-treated pine is not an ornament, but has several different functions. We wanted to make the most of the magnificent views through the largest window surfaces. The fluff like a blind and provides visibility in the saunas, but does not obscure the sea view from the inside out. It protects the interior from the heat load of the sun, which reduces the need for cooling the premises.
The specially selected sofas designed by Joanna Laajisto Creative Studio, Bar counters, restaurant tables and the long hand basin of the unisex toilet have been made from the birch bark selected for the interior. Terrace Bar Countertops are made of FSC-certified heat-treated pine like the hut of a building.
The choice of building materials does not affect the daily lives of most people. Each of us can still choose on a daily basis what kind of products to buy. Whether it is a liquid cardboard package, a kitchen table or even a Christmas card, the consumer can pay attention to the product’s origin information when making a purchase decision and check whether the product has a certificate of responsible forest management. Vartia and Pääkkönen wanted to emphasize just this with their own choice. WWF was also involved in Löyly’s FSC project, as the organization wants to increase people’s knowledge of the benefits of FSC certification.
This is certainly the greatest recognition I can think of Löyly receiving. Time’s top 100 listings are quite a concept worldwide, so Löyly and Finnish sauna culture gain considerable visibility around the world."
Löyly & Compensate
For the climate, food matters – Loyly x Compensate collaboration sheds light on just how much
Customers of Loyly can now offset the carbon emissions of their meal and sauna visit.
Food is a great example of an ordinary, everyday thing, which has a surprisingly large impact on an individual’s carbon footprint. Food makes up about 20 percent of the average annual carbon footprint of a Finn for example (~10 400 kg CO2e). linkki lahde
Biggest climate baddies are red meat, cheese and other dairy products, fish and chicken, eggs, and beverages. Beef is the biggest CO2 polluter of them all.
Through the new Loyly x Compensate collaboration, the carbon emissions caused by food can be compensated for.
– If our actions create emissions, we must also clean up after ourselves. I’m very happy to see Loyly leading the way on climate issues. Small acts done by many can together build large-scale effects on the climate, says Compensate CEO Antero Vartia.
If we want to mitigate global warming at the crucial 1,5 degree point, we need to drastically cut our emissions – to 2500 kg CO2e by 2030. In countries like Finland, this would mean 75 to 80 percent cut from the emissions of today.
Right from the start, sustainability and environmental values have guided Loyly’s operations. Its energy use has been optimized, it only uses renewable energy, and all the wood materials of the building are FSC-certified. The restaurant serves organic food and fish from sustainable sources.
Vartia founded Loyly with actor-activist Jasper Pääkkonen. To launch Compensate, he sold his stake in Loyly to Pääkkonen.
– We have shared values with Compensate and this collaboration is a natural next step in our sustainability efforts. We want to be among the firsts to offer people ways to compensate for their emissions and to take action towards more sustainable culinary world, Pääkkonen says.
The compensation payments of dishes match their carbon footprint. Vegan dishes can be compensated for with 0,05 euros, fish and vegetarian dishes with 0,10 euros and dishes with meat with 0,15 euros.
Through this pricing, people can become more aware of the climate impact their food choices have.
In addition to meals, customers at Loyly can also compensate for their visit to the sauna. The compensation payment is 0,10 euros, which covers emissions created through burning of the fire wood and the energy consumption.
– We must radically cut our emission to mitigate climate change, but we must also remove the excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Forestation will play a big role in this. We need to build systemic changes, and we also need to act right here and now, Vartia says.
