“We can be pioneers and leaders” – Marko Kärkkäinen

Marko, the chief commercial officer of Clewat, has decades of experience of circular economy and plastic problems. He often mentions especially China and Singapore, because Marko worked in Asia with waste management and its equipments. Also the Russian market belonged to his responsibilities. He lived in Asia about ten years.

China, where the biggest part of the worlds´recycled plastic was sent still 2019, offered an interesting view to the world of waste. Marko tells that the country “had very good reception for waste management. Locals sorted the waste with their own hands and the rest were picked up from housing associations by rickshaws.” But China is developing quickly.

International life has been teaching a lot about environmental issues. Marko tells that sometimes he has been diving in the middle of plastics, as in Bali. He has seen, how coral reefs are slowly perishing and their colours are disappearing, because of the acifidication of the oceans. “Here in Finland our nature is in good condition. But we shouldn´t only think about ourselves, but be pioneers and leaders for others. It is important to take our knowledge and professionality to the other countries.”

This is the work Marko feels that he is able to do at Clewat. He has excellent contacts around the world and the purpose is to transport the vessels of the company to the worlds´oceans with the help of them. “ I hope people would understand that a business company can also do something good. We need cooperation in the modern world. ” He can also be found on the Fairforce´s “100 professionals who reduct plastic waste” -list. “There are currently some good restrictions for plastic use, like EU´s ban on disposable plastics, but we have to also collect away those plastics, which already are in the water systems. They don´t disappear by themselves – and this work takes time”, Marko comments.

Marko finds the environmental sector as a whole interesting. He meets versatile and different kind of people at work and knows that he is doing good things for the world. When Marko is not working, nature is still present. With his wife Päivi he goes skiing, trekking and diving. His favourite scenery are the mountains or the wild sea. The kind of, where is no plastic.

Katja Vaulio

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