Recycling center in Nihtisilta attracts students and families in Espoo

The recycling center in Nihtisilta, Espoo, is bustling with activity during the day. Visitors can find a wide range of items, from sofas and tables to crafting supplies and kitchenware. Clothing racks are also full. There’s a particular buzz around the center’s cash register, where free clothing boxes attract attention. Jenni Jokivaara, a student from Lohja, visited with her father to search for an appropriate kitchen table for her student apartment. However, they found that many of the used tables available were quite large.

Peppi Marttila, the store manager at the Nihtisilta recycling center, notes that if customers are patient and willing to visit multiple times, they can often find what they’re looking for. The center is donation-based and accepts practically all intact goods, with autumn being a particularly busy season as students settle into new homes.

Last spring, the recycling center experienced a decrease in the amount of items being donated, prompting a campaign to raise awareness of its services, which successfully improved the situation. The center is one of 13 locations within the Helsinki metropolitan area, and a new large recycling store is set to open in Tammisto, Vantaa, this autumn.

However, the recycling center does not always offer items at traditional thrift store prices; for example, a set of multiple chairs can cost upwards of 100 euros. There is also a challenge in matching supply with demand, especially for seasonal items like school supplies. Tori.fi, a peer-to-peer marketplace operating in Finland for 15 years, is working to address this mismatch, encouraging timely sales of goods according to seasonal needs.