April 28, 2025
Maintenance – The engine of circular economy in industry
How environmental responsibility moves from words to daily production practices.
Environmental responsibility is no longer just a part of strategy, it is now embedded in everyday operations and decision-making across industrial production. For production directors, this means growing pressure to make operations not only more efficient, but also more sustainable.
Maintenance is taking on an increasingly important role in this transition, it not only helps prevent production downtime but also enables more sustainable and resource-efficient operations. At Quant, responsibility is embedded in everything we do from the daily work of our employees to customer-driven development and compliance with international standards.
Maintenance – The invisible backbone of environmental responsibility
The goals of the circular economy go beyond recycling and waste reduction – they extend to asset lifecycle management, material reuse, and even production optimization.
Pia Ahtiainen, Group Quality & ESG Manager at Quant, highlights the essential role of maintenance:
“Maintenance plays a major role in actively advancing the circular economy. For example, we work with customers to identify what can be repaired or serviced instead of always purchasing new. Reuse of materials and efficient recycling are also key parts of this approach.”
“Strategic maintenance planning is a key driver in enhancing energy and resource efficiency. Even basic measures, such as routine inspection rounds, can significantly contribute to identifying and addressing issues like system leaks. Over the long term, a well-defined maintenance strategy extends equipment lifespan and ensures operational reliability. Deep expertise in maintenance processes and system performance supports the optimization of service intervals and the smart selection of spare parts and materials, all while aligning with environmental goals and circular economy principles.”
In industrial operations, sustainability is often achieved through small but impactful actions. Upgrading lighting to more energy-efficient alternatives is a good example a seemingly simple measure with rapid, measurable benefits. At the same time, Quant helps customers make more informed decisions, such as comparing the environmental and financial impact of maintenance versus replacing equipment.
Pasi Hannula, Safety Manager for Finland and the Baltics, sees maintenance as part of a broader value framework:
“In many cases, the overall benefits of maintenance and repair outweigh those of purchasing new equipment and we can clearly demonstrate this with data-driven calculations.
When maintenance is proactive and executed with quality, it becomes not only efficient, but also responsible. Even small decisions can deliver significant benefits in terms of energy use, cost savings, and environmental impact.”
The conversation around sustainability has shifted
Sustainability is no longer just part of a strategy document, it is increasingly present in everyday decision-making. At Quant, this is visible in our daily operations, and in the expectations of job seekers as well.
“Younger generations are noticeably more interested in working for responsible companies. For some, it is even one of the most important criteria when choosing an employer,” says Pia Ahtiainen.
At Quant, responsibility is reflected in our long-term focus on safety, continuous employee development, and the choices we make regarding materials, vehicles, and partners.
Pasi Hannula emphasizes the practical side of environmental responsibility:
“When we talk about sustainability in everyday actions and decisions, our vehicle fleet says a lot: currently, 42% of our cars are electric, and our goal is to reach 79% by 2029.
In addition, our ISO 14001-certified environmental work steers us toward increasingly sustainable solutions. Recycling, material flow management, and improving energy efficiency are part of our daily operations, not separate initiatives. We are also advancing chemical safety toward automated risk management, and we support our customers in comparing the cost and environmental impact of maintenance versus new investments.”
Recognized challenges do not stop progress
One of the biggest challenges in sustainability work is keeping up with the constantly evolving environmental awareness and changing requirements. At Quant, we recognize this, and while we do not claim to have all the answers, we are committed to continuous learning, systematic improvement, and making better choices every day.
“The level of environmental awareness varies and is continuously evolving, and we want to support our customers in this. To help them and improve our own performance, we invest in training, certifications, and soon, also in system automation, for example in chemical risk assessments,” says Pasi.
CSRD brings opportunity through structure
The EU’s CSRD directive requires increasingly detailed sustainability reporting. Ahtiainen, who works with the topic at Quant, sees it as an opportunity.
“CSRD might initially seem demanding, but it helps align the rules and pushes the entire industry to develop. It will lead to new, more sustainable innovations, and encourage collaboration between players.”
The directive brings stakeholders together. The more advanced can mentor others, and the entire industry moves forward collectively.
Sustainability is a team effort – and maintenance makes it possible
Sustainability is not just an obligation, it is an opportunity to develop industrial operations with long-term impact. Maintenance improves reliability and efficiency, while also enabling measurable and meaningful environmental actions. When sustainability needs to be put into practice, companies need a partner who brings solutions, not just reports.
“An environmental act can begin with the decision to repair instead of replace. Maintenance offers the opportunity to make thoughtful and responsible choices, not only from a cost perspective, but also in terms of environmental impact and long-term value. It is not about short-term quick wins, but about systematic work that delivers lasting results,” Hannula emphasizes.
“Maintenance is not just a support function, it is a critical part of smarter, more sustainable, and future-ready industry. At Quant, we are committed to driving that transformation forward, together with our customers,” Ahtiainen concludes.
