Espoo and companies to test products and services that advance green transition

Workshops and new circular economy products

The demonstration of RD Physics Oy involves loudspeaker workshops for consumers. In the workshops, the participants will build new loudspeakers out of the components of old loudspeakers. The loudspeakers’ casings will be made of recycled plastic using 3D printing. The aim is to increase the recycling of the large magnets and rare earth elements contained by loudspeakers. The loudspeakers to be made will have a recycling rate of up to 96%. The demonstration will also survey residents’ interest in the recycling of materials. 

Similarly, the demonstration of Helsieni Oy will also involve workshops intended for residents. The workshops, aimed especially at young people, will focus on preserving mushrooms. The goal is to increase skills related to food preserving methods and inspire people to grow mushrooms and try new mushroom dishes. At the same time, the aim is also to reduce the consumption of energy-intensive foods.

The demonstration of Bloft Design Lab aims to increase the recycling rate of hard plastics with the help of 3D printing. The project will make use of plastics that currently end up in waste incineration. The plastics come from the Reuse Centre, and they will be used to make pellets suitable for 3D printing. Bloft Design Lab will work with students to design and print decorations out of plastic. The products will be sold at the Reuse Centre. The demonstration aims to create a recycling process involving several operators and survey customers’ opinions on 3D-printed products.

Digital services for residents and the city

The demonstration of Nordic Mobile Trust Oy will test a digital application for selling used mobile phones consumer-to-consumer. The app will offer consumers a safe sales venue where an algorithm will assess the price for the phone to be sold. The aim is to increase the reuse rate of phones and raise consumers’ awareness of the waste hierarchy. The waste hierarchy instructs consumers to first reuse a product and only then recycle its materials.

For its part, Taival Advisory Oy will test a digital application that promotes sustainable transport. The app will provide consumers with subsidised park-and-ride services combined with free public transport tickets. The aim is to reduce car traffic and carbon dioxide emissions in city centres. To add value, the app will also calculate the carbon dioxide emissions avoided thanks to the park-and-ride services. The data collected will be available to users and the City.

In the demonstration of XD Visuals, a digital twin will be built for carbon-neutral urban development. The model to be developed will promote more sustainable planning of residential areas by improving the management of data on the emissions and costs. The model can be used to promote carbon-neutral construction materials and the surveying of natural sites. At the same time, it will improve the management of multiple sub-projects and the communication between various operators.

All of the Green Transition Demonstrations will be implemented in late 2022 and early 2023. You can follow the progress of the demonstrations through the media channels of the City of Espoo. You can find more information about the RD Physics loudspeaker workshop on the event page: Build yourself a recycled loudspeaker | City of Espoo

The Green Transition Demonstrations are a part of the Implementation Pathway for Environments that Accelerate Sustainable Growth (KETO). The project is funded by the European Union’s REACT-EU ERDF and is part of the European Union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.