Marketplace for reusable building products opens in Helsinki
A marketplace selling reusable building products has opened in Helsinki, advancing the circular economy in the construction sector.
The development of the circular economy in construction has been slowed down by the lack of a functioning marketplace. In addition, issues related to the intact removal and storage of reusable products have created a bottleneck in the circular economy in construction. Now, a solution that is accessible to everyone and facilitates the entire sector has emerged: at the end of February, a marketplace for reusable construction products, Kiertotalouskorneri, opened in Vallila. The building products and their product cards are on display and freely available for purchase by customers, i.e., anyone from private individuals to companies. For example, various flooring materials, lighting fixtures, interior doors, and panels are available for sale. The products for sale come mainly from Vallila, where YIT is currently developing a new circular economy pilot block.
According to Mikko Piitulainen from Spolia Design, the reusability of the parts has been tested through various processes, for example in brick facades, glass structures, and heavy glued laminated timber frame structures. The tests have shown that almost all parts are in good condition and can be reused.
Products intended for reuse are carefully evaluated, carefully removed, and documented to facilitate reuse. Spolia tests, certifies, and documents reusable products and materials and grants them a two-year product warranty. Product cards are displayed with the products, showing basic product information and environmental data.
– This is a large-scale test of a completely new operating culture in a large sector. It is important to be able to see the reusable building components on site and to build trust in the supplier so that the necessary components are available when needed, comments Pipsa Salolammi from the Helsinki-Uusimaa Circular Hub, who coordinated the collaboration.
– Municipalities and companies have a big role to play here: municipalities commission a large proportion of construction projects and companies design projects in accordance with municipal tenders, so it is essential to get both sectors to promote reuse at the same time, Salolammi continues.
Kiertotalouskorneri is operated by YIT and Spolia Design Oy. In addition, Rakennusosapankki, which focuses on the reuse of building components, has also been launched in Uusimaa. The Helsinki-Uusimaa Circular Hub coordinates and the expert company Spolia Design Oy operates Rakennusosapankki.