This is the first self-service reuse collection point in the world for bric-à-brac and small household items.
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Reuse Centre Ltd. (Pääkaupunkiseudun Kierrätyskeskus Oy) collects household goods for reuse in the region and sells them at stores. In 2019 almost 5 million goods were reused.
Self-service reuse collection point is creative method to collect bric-à-brac and make reuse easy for the citizens. This is the first self-service reuse collection point in the world.
Usually, in every donation point there is personnel to accept the items from the customers when collecting other goods than textiles. This collection method for reuse is unique as it accepts easily breakable materials such as dishes, decorative items and valuables but there are no personnel to serve the donating customers. That saves human resources and floor space. The collection point is next to material reuse collection of bottles, cans and Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE).
The customer experience is the same as when returning cans and bottles to an automatic collection point but the system behind the wall is quite different. There is no personnel to meet with the customer and the items are left in special boxes which a conveyor belt transports behind a wall. The design is such that it is not easy to steal items.
The realisation of the first collection point took only three weeks and most of it was planning phase. The required resources are quite easy to arrange if you already have a collection point for bottles or WEEE or clothes.
Resources needed
· About 30 m2 of floor space.
· Transport equipment and boxes for donated items.
· Transports from the collection point to sorting facilities.
· Building of the conveyer belt.
· Branded instructions for customers.
· Personnel to move the boxes. (part time person depending on the volume)
Evidence of success
The system has been in use for several years already and functions well. The amount of goods donated are a few thousand kilograms per month. For a small and easy donation point, the results are quite good. It does not require anything else but pick up of the goods every week. The kilogram amount collected is equal to about two clothes collection boxes.
Difficulties encountered
The volume of donated goods has potential to grow and the amount has been a little slow to pick up as it is also a new type of concept for customers.
The cost was more than expected as there was a lot to develop. The next ones will be less expensive to construct.
Potential for learning or transfer
There is a great potential to transfer or multiply these in every city in Finland and in other countries where there is a bottle collection system.
It serves well customers who already use shopping malls frequently. It is very easy to take the idea and implement if there is shopping mall or supermarket with a space for reuse. If there is no bottle/paper or cardboard collection already inside it would require more work to multiply.
Many customers see the place when they return their bottles and it is a good place for the promotion of reuse inside the shopping mall.
Tags: Management, Textile
