Finns are concerned about the problems caused by plastic waste and consider the recycling of plastic to be important. However, recycling is also considered difficult, as plastic collection points are located far away from homes.

Plastic is currently one of the hottest topics of discussion all around the world. In Finland, this discussion has lead to the preparation of a national Plastics Roadmap, which proposes measures towards reducing the environmental impact of plastics.

A farmer is able to find a spare part for their tractor, a school laboratory is fitted with inexpensive equipment and an earthwork entrepreneur finds the rock material they need close by. Online services for trading items and other resources have become important market places and circular economy pioneers.

The Circwaste forerunner municipalities Kuopio, Porvoo and Circwaste partner municipality Pori were recognised in a competition organised by Sitra and the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities. The competition was looking for the most interesting municipal circular economy solutions. The forerunner municipalities of Rovaniemi, Turku and Jyväskylä received honourable mention in the competition.

Kuopio intends its new constructions to be as sustainable and climate-friendly as possible. The facilities at the Kuikkalampi daycare centre and the community service centre of Kuopio’s western rural areas have been efficiently designed to support new ways of learning, while keeping the buildings’ carbon footprint under control.

A pilot carried out in the Circwaste project yielded promising results on the manufacturing of recycled magnets. The recycling of magnets has great potential to grow into a profitable business for recycling companies.

Since the beginning of this year, biogas-powered shared cars have been available for trial use in Kangas, Jyväskylä. Over the course of the spring, ‘car mentors’ will also be teaching other interested people about car sharing. Car sharing is already being taken into consideration in the zoning of new residential areas.

Ketun kierrätys (‘The Fox’s recycling’) mobile game inspired students to sort waste and recycle. In particular, the game boosted the recycling of biowaste and plastic during the pilot implemented in Kuopio.