Innovation procurement for recycling centre of the future

A well-thought-out system for collecting and disposing of waste fractions has been developed for Stockholm Royal Seaport. Paper, plastic, metal, cardboard, glass, etc. are collected from each property, but a key challenge is bulky waste that often can be recycled and reused. Future management of what is today regarded as bulky waste must enter the circular economy with the ultimate goal of not producing any waste at all – a vision that starts with the consumer.

With this in mind, work began on an innovation procurement process to develop what the recycling centre of the future in a built-up area could look like.

Purpose and goal

The purpose of the project was to develop a concept for how to make it easier to reuse items, as well as create a space for people to meet.

The long-term goal of the project is to create a permanent reuse facility in Stockholm Royal Seaport.

Film about the recycling centre (Swedish only)

Results and experiences

The innovation competition resulted in two concepts being selected for further development. These were the Cirkulera (Circulate) permanent concept, which was based on people transporting their material for recycling and material recycling without using a car. Cirkulera provides activities for people of all ages and serves multiple purposes. It is a social meeting place that attracts different types of people at different times of the day with a combination of businesses, activities and events. Knowledge sharing and sustainability in theory and practice become natural parts of a broader set of activities.

The second concept that was taken further was the idea of a temporary recycling centre where the residents could donate, repair, exchange, or remake items that would otherwise be thrown away. At the same time, people would be provided with information about recycling and resource management. It was based on three rooms/shipping containers named: Workshop, Showroom, and Warehouse. In the Warehouse, you leave items that you do not want. If it is possible to reuse an item, it goes to the Showroom, where it is placed on the exchange/give-away shelf where you can a wide variety of items. If an item is too worn or broken, you get help to disassemble and sort its component parts into the correct fraction.

The concept was further developed together with Stockholm Vatten och Avfall into what is now known as Pop-Up Reuse, which is taken to Stockholm Royal Seaport twice a year. Pop-Up Reuse is also used at around ten other locations in Stockholm.

Related documents and further reading: