Working towards a shared circular economy goal in Kouvola, Finland
ReSolutions partners from Finland, Sweden and Latvia gathered in Kouvola, Finland, on 13–14 October 2026 for their third face-to-face partner meeting and innovation seminar. The two-day programme combined practical workshops, field visits and informal discussion, giving the partnership time to compare local approaches and move from shared ideas towards concrete pilots.
Learning from local circular-economy practice
The field visits offered a concrete view of how research, reuse services and waste management can support a local circular-economy system.
At Xamk’s BioSampo research centre, the partners explored applied research in the bio-based and circular economies and saw how testing and development environments can help turn material-related ideas into practical solutions. The centre’s name draws on the Sampo of the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala—a magical object associated with prosperity and abundance—and gives this familiar symbol a modern connection to the sustainable use of resources.
The visits to Kymenlaakson Jäte’s Keltakangas waste management centre and the site of its new sorting station highlighted the importance of safe, convenient and effective sorting of goods and materials that still have value. At the Parik Foundation, the group experienced how donated items are assessed and prepared for resale or lending through the planned Library of Things.
Together, the visits illustrated a service chain in which research and experimentation generate new solutions, waste stations drive reusable goods away from the waste streams, and Parik provides routes for repair, resale and lending. Through these reverse cycles usable and repairable goods can remain in circulation for longer.
Engaging audiences through campaigns and influencers
During the meeting partners also explored ways to engage people in repair, reuse, borrowing and sharing. Country-specific communication plans will connect the pilots with local audiences through events, workshops, social media and partner networks.
Future activities include hands-on repair and reuse sessions as well as a joint campaign based on clear storytelling. As part of this discussion, the meeting provided an opportunity to look ahead to the next phase of the work. Green Liberty presented its research on AI tools that could support future campaign implementation, and the partners also considered how influencer collaboration could be adapted to different operational and local contexts. By selecting suitable influencers to demonstrate how circular choices can become part of everyday life, the project aims to raise awareness and encourage participation.
From ideas to prototypes and manufacturing
The innovation seminar formed the third stage of the project’s upcycling development process. After earlier seminars had explored promising ideas and then addressed design, engineering and processes, the Kouvola session turned to prototypes and manufacturing: how selected concepts could be realised and produced in practice.
Partners advanced their concepts, considered suitable materials and production methods and identified the resources and collaboration needed. The work supports the development and testing of upcycling solutions that can keep products and materials in circulation and provide models that can be adapted across Finland, Sweden and Latvia.
Shared direction, local action
As a result of the meeting, the partners had a clearer shared framework for developing their Libraries of Things pilots while retaining the flexibility to respond to local circumstances. The next steps are to complete the country-specific LoT plans, refine communication activities and continue testing sorting, repair, reuse and upcycling solutions. More on the progress of local LoTs coming soon.
The Kouvola meeting demonstrated the value of cross-border collaboration: different organisations and regions can learn from one another while turning a common circular-economy goal into practical action.
Images Björn Lans
