Every year around the All Saints’ Day holiday, we witness heaps of burnt lanterns and artificial flowers that ultimately end up in waste. However, there are those who tackle this problem by thinking ahead and designing more environmentally friendly solutions. One example of such a company, whose solution is eco lanterns, was found near Slavonski Brod.
Namely, the company Primax, with 30 years of experience in the production of plastic products such as the aforementioned lanterns, as well as garbage bags made from 100% recycled material, strives to act responsibly towards nature and resources. As explained by Robert Pandža, the owner and director of Primax, driven by the desire to create a sustainable and eco-friendly product that would not pollute nature, they developed Ecolant – a lantern made from non-flammable paper.
– Sustainable and eco-friendly means that it is made from sustainably managed raw materials, and eco-friendly because it decomposes naturally. The most desirable ultimate goal is still recycling and reuse. Along with paper, all parts of our lantern can be recycled – says the director who agrees that disposing of PVC lanterns is not adequate, but it is possible; it just isn’t applied here.
Foreigners More Inclined to Eco Products
That is why at international fairs, where they exhibited the Ecolant lantern, there was great interest at their booth. In Amsterdam, they even won recognition as the most innovative green product at the PLMA Private Label fair. Primax’s products are sold in France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Serbia, Hungary, Croatia, and other European countries.
—
—– This product is primarily made for the foreign market where customers are indeed more inclined towards eco options than here. Traditional lanterns have a long tradition, and it is not realistic to expect that they will be completely replaced by paper ones, at least not in the near future. Nevertheless, inquiries, interest, and sales have excellent indicators. The growth in demand is above expectations, but in the overall share, traditional lanterns are expected to dominate – says Pandža.
In Croatia, Primax’s eco lanterns are available only in Lidl stores, and that in a package of six pieces, while their traditional lanterns are sold in almost all retail chains.
– Lidl has shown great interest in the eco product, so cooperation was established beyond the classic assortment – explains Pandža how the collaboration came about.
However, in Croatia, the Ecolant lantern was recognized at this year’s Greencajt festival where it received the Green Prix award for the best green innovation.
Social Benefit
It took Primax three years to develop the eco lanterns that can be purchased today. Until now, they have initiated trial productions, which were immediately sold out upon entering the market. However, this year, like many other entrepreneurs, the production process was slowed down by a shortage of raw materials.
– Consequently, we managed to produce only limited quantities, still sufficient for the market to get to know the product – adds Pandža, a mechanical engineering graduate, explaining that eco production is significantly more complex than production from original material, and is often more expensive.
– Such a product has a great social benefit; customer inclination towards such responsibly designed products has seen a significant increase, which has not been the case until now. This fact pleases us and gives us additional motivation – says the director.
The total share of recycled and renewable raw materials that Primax uses in production exceeds 90 percent. Aware of all the challenges, Pandža also warns about the problem of greenwashing, the false marketing labeling of products as ‘eco-friendly’, even though they are not.
– There are many products that are made to look eco-friendly, but in reality, they are not. Quite the opposite, they are impossible or nearly impossible to recycle. This is called ‘greenwashing’, and such manufacturers count on customers not recognizing the difference. Fortunately, customers are becoming more informed and are increasingly choosing the right options – says Pandža, concluding that sustainable production must be prioritized over all other goals, because ‘every subsequent generation will increasingly feel the severe consequences of neglecting our planet.’
