Since Hannes Kariniemi realized in 1974 that the manure piles from chicken farms could be turned into
garden fertilizers, the principles of sustainable circular economy have guided our work.
Over the past five decades, Finnish gardeners have embraced Biolan products,
from chicken manure pellets to composters, dry toilets, and peat-free soil.
As we continue to reduce Biolan’s environmental footprint and invest in renewable energy,
we proudly and joyfully work towards a greener future. Our goal is to ensure that everyone can
live more sustainably—now and for the next fifty years.
Jussi Kariniemi takes over leadership of 50-year-old Biolan
Jussi Kariniemi, a third-generation representative of the owning family, is stepping into the leadership of the Biolan family business. In a changing world, staying ahead requires new kinds of innovations, and Jussi promises to continue driving the company’s strong development as a leader in its field.
Peat-free bulking material hits the Market
Biolan is transitioning its Bulking Material for Composts and Dry Toilets as well as its “Tehokuivike” (Effective bulking material) to peat-free versions. This change offers home composters and cottage owners a new, easy way to make environmentally friendly choices in their daily lives. By removing peat from these products, Biolan continues to expand its range of sustainable options, supporting the shift towards greener living practices.
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Peat-Free Garden Soil expands peat-free range
Biolan's Peat-Free Garden Soil is made entirely from recycled and renewable raw materials, produced through composting. As a result, it is rich in long-lasting nutrients and beneficial microbes for plants. Additionally, the soil contains biochar, which enhances growing conditions by acting as a water and nutrient reservoir and providing a habitat for beneficial microbes. This product further expands Biolan’s range of sustainable, peat-free gardening solutions.
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Biolan Potting Soil makes growing more sustainable
The new Biolan Potting Soil is made exclusively from recycled and renewable raw materials, making it completely peat-free. Additionally, this soil, which carries the Key Flag symbol (Avainlippu) for products made in Finland, is produced from locally sourced materials that give it its fluffiness. The packaging also incorporates recycled plastic, further enhancing its sustainability. This product represents Biolan's commitment to offering eco-friendly options that support sustainable gardening practices.
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Biofiber plant enables a peat-free alternative
Biolan's unique biokuitulaitos (biofiber plant), a pioneering facility even on a global scale,
accelerates the reduction of peat usage and positions Biolan at the forefront of the green transition.
The biofiber plant provides a powerful, well-researched, and practically tested peat-free alternative for both
growing media and bedding products. The facility was inaugurated by Member of Parliament Eeva Kalli and Biolan's
Chairman of the Board, Pekka Kariniemi. This innovative facility underscores Biolan's commitment to sustainability
and its role as a leader in offering environmentally friendly solutions.
Composting boom Increases demand for composters – new modern production line completed
The demand for composters has been steadily rising, driven in part by the new waste law coming into effect in 2024.
Biolan anticipates continued growth in demand and has invested
€1.5 million in new robotics, enabling the company to double its production capacity for composters.
Additionally, this energy-efficient and resource-wise technology will allow for the production of more complex products, a more environmentally friendly manufacturing process, and the broader use of recycled plastic in the production of plastic products.
Biolan's Sustainability Commitment
Climate change and the loss of biodiversity are challenging business practices. In its sustainability commitment, Biolan pledges to continue applying circular economy principles in product manufacturing and to ensure that all Biolan products are peat-free by 2040. New environmentally friendly solutions are continuously being developed.
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Over 50% of raw materials are recycled or rapidly renewable
The share of peat-free raw materials in Biolan's products has reached the 50% milestone.
The direction is clear: in line with Biolan's sustainability commitment,
the goal is for all products to be peat-free by 2040.Read more »
Nitrogen in Biolan liquid fertiliser is recycled
The nitrogen in Biolan liquid fertiliser is captured from ammonia gas released in the composting reactor. The nitrogen from the ammonia is bound into a liquid form using lactic acid. This process prevents nitrogen from entering the atmosphere and allows it to be utilized as a fertilizer.
Unique research on moss cultivation begins
A globally unique research project on the cultivation of sphagnum moss is starting in Finland. The goal is to enable the future cultivation of sphagnum moss, used as a growing medium, on already drained peatlands. Biolan is actively involved in this research, seeking ways to replace peat in growing media with renewable and circular economy-based raw materials.
Utilization of consumer-recycled plastic in packaging
Biolan was the first to introduce soil and fertilizer packaging made from recycled plastic. The proportion of recycled plastic in our packaging is already significant, and we are continuously working to increase it. All our packaging is 100% recyclable.
Solar energy plant enhances energy self-sufficiency
A 165-kilowatt peak solar power plant installed on the roof of the factory that produces Biolan's composters and toilets increases the share of renewable local energy in the factory’s energy consumption. This, in turn, reduces the carbon footprint of the production process.
Biochar in growing media
Since 2015, Biolan has been adding biochar to its soil products. In growing media, biochar
activates micro-organisms and improves the structure of the substrate. This enhances root growth and
promotes balanced plant development. Biochar is highly porous, allowing it to store and release water to
plants as needed. It also helps prevent soil from becoming compacted or waterlogged. Biochar retains its
structure in the soil for hundreds of years. In addition to its excellent cultivation properties, biochar
serves as an important carbon sink by permanently capturing carbon from the atmosphere.
Utilization of renewable energy begins
Biolan built own 500-kilowatt wind turbine and began producing renewable energy for use in the composter factory.
20-year warranty on favourite products
Biolan offers a 20-year warranty on its favourite products, the Biolan Quick Composter 220eco and the Composting Toilet eco. Durable materials and long lifecycle of the products make them a responsible choice for users.
Composter Factory Completed
The production of Biolan's Quick composter 220 and Composting Toilets entered a new era with the inauguration of
Favorit Tuote Oy’s new production facility in 2012. Even today, the factory stands at the forefront of global
technical innovation. From the very beginning, sustainability and ecological practices have been integral to
both the factory’s production processes and the manufacturing of composters and dry toilets.
favorit-tuote.fi
New headquarters completed
Biolan's headquarters, completed in 2010, is a tribute to nature and a true showcase of ecological construction.
The building features numerous eco-friendly and innovative solutions, incorporating abundant natural materials such as stone and wood. Many of the ideas came directly from Pekka Kariniemi:
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Tackling greywater – Greywater Filter awarded
In the 2000s, Biolan expanded its product range to include wastewater treatment.
Biolan's household Greywater Filter won the InnoSuomi award in 2004.
The filter uses an advanced blend of domestic natural materials as the filtering medium.
Composting Toilet hits the market
Cottage owners had become aware of the obvious environmental drawbacks of traditional outdoor toilets.
Additionally, the unpleasant task of emptying the outdoor toilet had become one of the most disliked chores for
cottage-goers. Now, a solution was found for both problems: the Biolan Composting Toilet. This innovation allows
for the safe handling of toilet waste, transforming it into valuable material for the cottage garden.
The Biolan Composting Toilet has become Finland’s best-selling dry toilet.Read more »
Thermocomposter Quick Composter Biolan 220 hits the market
Composting allows kitchen bio-waste to be recycled into nutrients for your own garden.
To ensure successful composting even in Finnish winter conditions, Biolan developed the country’s first thermal
composter for year-round use. This four-season Quick Composter was also the first composter to receive the Nordic
Ecolabel.
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Puutarhan Musta Multa hits the market
In the 1980s, garden soils were developed alongside flower soils, utilizing recycled raw materials and composting.
In 1987, Puutarhan Musta Multa (“Black Soil for Garden”) was introduced to the market, and its popularity continues
to this day. Today, 40% of the raw materials used in Puutarhan Musta Multa are rapidly renewable or recycled.
Compost-produced soil is fluffy and nutrient-rich
Biolan’s soils are produced through composting, a process that takes about a year for the soil to mature.
Composting requires expertise and time but ensures excellent growth properties in the soil. During composting,
a large amount of slow-release nutrients becomes bound in the soil, gradually releasing for plant use.
This means that occasional neglect in fertilization by the home gardener does not significantly impact plant growth.
Thanks to composting, the soil contains beneficial microbes and humus, which enhance soil fertility. Compost-produced
soils maintain their structure much longer than soils mixed with peat.
Soil factory completed, Musta Multa hits the market
As home gardeners became enthusiastic about Biolan’s chicken manure pellets, it was a natural progression for Biolan to expand its product range to include soil products. The first batches of Musta Multa (“Black Soil”) found their way into the hands of gardening enthusiasts in 1985. In the production of Biolan's soil, agricultural and forestry by-products are also utilized, ensuring that valuable nutrients are kept within the nutrient cycle, conserving natural resources.
Organic fertiliser sticks hit the Market
The completely natural Organic fertiliser sticks garnered significant attention when it was introduced to the market. Its ingenious, elongated shape made it easier to apply fertilizer to potted plants. The product also gained recognition at the international gardening fair in Cologne, where Biolan participated for the first time. The Organic fertiliser sticks remain a long-standing favorite among gardening enthusiasts.
Finland's first Composter
In 1978, Biolan introduced a truly groundbreaking innovation to the market: a device that accelerates the
decomposition of organic waste through composting. Biolan named this device the "Kompostori"
(meaning "Composter"), a term that later became a common word in the Finnish language.
In the following years, Biolan’s range of composters expanded to meet the composting needs of households of all sizes.
Explore our composters
Legendary TV commercial released
In 1978, Biolan made history by airing the first-ever television commercial for fertilizers in Finland. The commercial, known as "Yks kakkaa, kaks kakkaa". The phrase can be translated as "One poop, two poops." It's a playful and catchy line used in the advertisement to humorously refer to the use of fertilizer.
It was a bold move and sparked extensive discussions at MTV (the biggest commercial TV channel in Finland) before it was approved for broadcast. Upon its release, the ad gained enormous attention and was a groundbreaking moment in Finnish advertising history. It was even awarded the title of the best TV commercial of the year.
This iconic jingle not only helped to establish Biolan as a household name but also became a lasting part of Finnish cultural heritage. Even over 40 years later, most Finns can still associate the catchy jingle with Biolan, underscoring its enduring impact on the brand's identity.
Pekka Kariniemi takes over the leadership of the circular economy company Biolan
After Hannes Kariniemi, his son Pekka Kariniemi took over the leadership of Biolan.
Under Pekka's guidance, a core mission was defined for Biolan's team, one that still endures today:
reducing the environmental burden caused by humans on the planet. Thanks to this mission, the small
family business has become a unique multi-faceted player in the circular economy. Today, Pekka Kariniemi
serves as the Chairman of the Board at Biolan.
Natural Fertilizer to the market
A business idea that sprouted from the emerging manure problem led to the production of Finland’s first chicken
manure pellets in Biolan’s founding year, 1974. The manure mountains dwindled as they were packed into bags and
distributed to gardens and flowerbeds across the country. By reducing the need for virgin natural resources in
fertilizers, Biolan implemented the concept of a circular economy for the first time—even before the term itself
existed.
Biolan is founded
In the 1960s, Hannes Kariniemi and his family raised chickens on their farm. Hannes was the one who introduced broiler chickens to Finnish dinner tables. However, the popularity of this delicious new dish had a side effect: growing mountains of manure on broiler farms. To address this rapidly accumulating challenge, Biolan Oy was established.
