In the frame of improving waste handling within urban environment, VA SYD is establishing and carrying out the creation of near community “ReTurn” reuse and recycling center in Malmö. The ReTurn aims at promoting sustainability in a holistic way, considering at the same time environmental, economical, social and cultural sustainability. The purpose with the reuse and recycling center is not only to facilitate the handling of household waste in the urban environment, but also to promote practices that change the attitude towards waste and facilitates an upward movement in the waste hierarchy.
In order to reach such broader goals, VA SYD aims at making the ReTurn as a local hub for makers’ culture, which entails to support upcycling, repairing and reusing activities where people collaboratively engage in repairing and building things, by learning from each other. Such activities, besides promoting environmental sustainability, may stimulate new forms of social interaction on a local level but also strengthen connections between the million program areas and other parts of the city. They may also open up for new working opportunities for people living in the area.
The ReTurn reuse and recycling center is a new local meeting place, you can walk there if you live nearby and you don’t need a car. The city of Malmo is planning for 10 new ReTurn reuse and recycling centers and the first pilot center opens during the EWWR week. It is situated in Lindängen, a densely populated area in the outskirts of Malmo.
The ReTurn recycling center will receive waste, for example smaller furniture, old bikes, small amount of chemicals, electronic devices, textile and metal. There will also be an exchange corner for small furniture and items, but only for exchange purpose – no handling of money here.
The ReTurn reuse and recycling center will be a local meeting place with creative workshops where you can repair your bike or perhaps a chair. Many items that are thrown away, that could be repaired instead. You need to learn how to repair and at the ReTurn reuse and recycling center you will be able to borrow the right tools. The arrangements aim to change the attitude towards waste and promote an upward movement in the waste hierarchy.
The people working here will be trained so that they know how to handle hazardous waste for example, but most important is perhaps that the staff is locally engaged in the area. The opening hours will be quite generous, it will be open five days a week when it is most needed. The target group is the people living in the area, both grown-ups and children.

Our target is that 50 % of the households in the neigborhood will visit the ReTurn center during the first year.