Recycling is part of the daily life of every resident and a topic that emerged as the most important theme related to the sustainability of housing in the Lumo homes resident survey in 2023. As a property market frontrunner, we are committed to developing the satisfaction of the residents of Lumo homes by providing practical recycling opportunities and investing in an easy waste sorting experience.
Sorting and recycling was the theme for 2023 at our Lumo buildings. During the year, we focused particularly on updating the sorting and recycling instructions for residents, increasing sorting and recycling awareness among residents, and improving recycling opportunities in the apartments.
During the theme year, we also developed our internal processes and produced materials and instructions to support the work of our property managers as part of our Property Managers’ Handbook.
Property managers play an important role in promoting recycling
Our property managers across Finland work at our Lumo properties every day and are responsible for the general cleanliness and maintenance of the properties. Each day, they meet our residents and engage in valuable dialogue on recycling and sorting, among other topics.
“In early 2023, we asked our property managers to propose suitable Lumo buildings as pilot sites for our theme year on sorting and recycling. We then selected 13 properties where we carried out progressive measures and testing to improve the recycling rate,” says Katri Kronström, Area Manager at Lumo homes.
As part of the project, we also focused on the cleanliness of the waste collection point and the optimal number and placement of waste containers.
We tested new waste sorting bins in cooperation with our residents
Our experience shows that one of the factors influencing the satisfaction of residents is the provision of comprehensive and convenient waste sorting opportunities. New Lumo buildings are equipped with modern pull-out waste bins for 3–4 waste fractions. Bins for multiple waste fractions are introduced at older buildings in connection with renovations.
We distributed detached waste sorting bins to apartments to find out how bins for multiple waste fractions affect the building-specific recycling rate at older buildings where the waste container is yet to be updated.
“In the spring of 2023, we distributed versatile detached waste sorting bins to approximately 1,000 apartments. The residents can place the bins in their homes as they please. The bins thus became a permanent part of the apartment’s furnishings. We will keep a close eye on the effect of our enhanced recycling communications and the waste sorting bin pilot on the recycling rate at each building, and we will use the results to develop our operations further,” Kronström explains.
Resident ambassadors promote the sorting of biowaste
In another project, we collaborated with the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority (HSY) to invite enthusiastic recyclers to become resident ambassadors. Around 150 residents in the capital region and other parts of Finland joined the project. The role of the resident ambassadors was to encourage other residents to recycle and sort waste more actively. The recycling ambassadors distributed biowaste bags to their neighbours and encouraged people to pay attention to the sorting of biowaste in particular. A training event on the project and its goals was also organised for the recycling ambassadors.
Recycling campaign of HSY and Lumo homes involves nearly 10,000 households in making sorting more efficient
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“Many of our residents do a very good job of sorting their household waste, but there is still room for improvement. We will monitor the development of the recycling rate at the pilot sites, and we seek to make the results concrete and encourage our residents to improve the recycling rate. The goal of Lumo homes is to make recycling as easy as possible and help residents to make the right choices,” Kronström concludes.