Well-functioning recycling and sorting opportunities are an important part of everyday sustainability. Lumo optimises waste management according to building-specific needs.
Between May and September 2024, Lumo homes‘ property managers visited the waste collection points of Lumo buildings around Finland to ensure that all of the Lumo buildings’ waste collection points have sorting options and up-to-date sorting instructions that support proper recycling.
“We inspected the number of different waste containers and the emptying intervals of the containers, taking into account the building-specific needs. We also checked that the waste collection points have multilingual or illustrated sorting instructions. At the same time, we assessed whether the waste collection points are accessible and whether residents using various aids can easily open the waste containers,” says Ville Kilpi, Director of House Management at Lumo Homes.
This was a project to improve recycling rates and the comfort of living. This time, the inspection visits only concerned waste collection points located in Lumo homes’ own premises, and not shared collection points. The renewal work will continue in 2025, and the maintenance of waste collection points will require continued work even after this.
“We felt that it was important to look into the functionality of the premises in more detail, as the functionality of waste management has a significant impact on both the recycling rate and the comfort of living. We also added equipment to some of the waste collection points so that the residents themselves can maintain the cleanliness of the premises; brooms and shovels that can be used to clean up rubbish that has fallen onto the floor without anyone needing to get their hands dirty,” Kilpi says.
Residents play an important role in the functionality of recycling
The Waste Act guides the waste management of Lumo homes: the aim is to reduce the amount of waste and increase the recycling of various materials. The purpose of renewing the waste collection points in Lumo buildings was to further improve their utilisation – offering residents better opportunities than before to recycle their household waste efficiently.
Residents play an important role in the functionality of waste management. Lumo Homes require that all residents sort and recycle different types of waste carefully and do their part to ensure the cleanliness of the waste collection points.
“We actively communicate with our residents about recycling. We have compiled comprehensive recycling instructions on our website, we remind everyone of the proper recycling of different types of waste and give notice of collection vehicles in our residential areas. We also ask residents to contact us if they notice any deficiencies in the house’s waste management so that we can quickly address any problems,” Kilpi says.
Lumo homes have more than 60,000 residents. Some recycle more carefully than others.
“There have been challenges, especially with waste placed in the wrong containers and left on the ground to attract rodents, but also with items that do not belong at the waste collection point. We hope that updating the number of containers and their emptying intervals as well as the instructions will help. In order to increase the recycling rate and keep the facilities tidy, we must work together with the residents,” Kilpi says.
Results in the short and longer term
The aim of the waste collection point renewal was primarily to improve the comfort of living of Lumo homes and the recycling rate of Lumo buildings, while also bringing cost savings that affect housing costs.
According to the results of the quarterly client satisfaction survey sent to residents, the renewals improved resident satisfaction with the sorting and recycling of Lumo buildings as early as the end of the year.
“It’s great to see good results so quickly, but our work on the development of waste management is far from done. We still have a way to go before we reach our goals,” says Kilpi.
In accordance with its sustainability programme, Lumo aims to increase the recycling rate of its properties to 55 per cent. The development of the recycling rate should be examined over a longer period of time than the immediate resident feedback.