Towards a circular Kouvola region: sharing and circularity as drivers of resilience

Xamk, Parik Foundation and Kymenlaakson Jäte took part in an inspiration seminar in Kouvola on 23 January 2026. The final seminar of the Treasures Lost at the Waste Sorting Station project brought together circular economy experts and local actors driving the sustainability transition. While the potential of the circular economy remains largely untapped, work towards this goal is already underway. This article offers a brief look at the conversations shaping the Kouvola region’s path towards a circular future.

How did we get here?

Sharing and the circular economy are not new concepts. They were commonplace, but were lost when the Industrial Revolution reshaped our way of life. Suddenly, the amount of excess increased, there was less need to repair and share, and the waste no longer disappeared without a trace, as Hannu Purho from the city of Kouvola reminded us. Most of this surplus was no longer biodegradable, and vast areas of land were left covered by mountains of waste. Waste became a problem that needed to be solved.

Although issues ranging from land use to soil toxicity were eventually taken seriously, the problem was still framed primarily as a disposal issue. The slow change began when recycling re-entered the picture, and the value of raw materials like metals became apparent. Recycling alone, however, does not preserve the added value of manufactured goods, and this is where the greatest potential of the circular economy lies.

Building more resilient and resourceful communities

In his keynote address, Timo Huhtamäki, CEO of the Finnish Nature Heritage Foundation and an EU climate ambassador, delivered a powerful message addressing today’s challenges. Circularity matters because it builds resilience by reducing dependence on geopolitically charged value chains, fosters stronger communities by strengthening the capacities and connections we can rely on, and supports the local economy by creating income and jobs. It retains most of the added value rather than losing it, thereby easing the burden of linear economic models.

Meanwhile, the transition to circularity will require some elbow grease, as the challenges we face are both systemic and cultural. The capital-intensive goods industry remains heavily invested in the status quo of linear economic models. By contrast, small circular businesses often  lack the lobbying power needed to overcome barriers to market entry that favor the mass production of linear goods. Systemic challenges, such as taxation and legislation, are nevertheless subject to political and societal will and are therefore subject to change.

Cultural challenges are rooted in human behavior. We consume goods at unprecedented levels, which poses a significant challenge. Consumption is driven not only by habit but also by social expectations. To illustrate this point in his keynote address, Huhtamäki posed a simple question: how many bankers would walk into a meeting room wearing a suit jacket with a visible repair patch? Probably very few, and this is a cultural issue.

Attitudes towards repair and reuse are often marked by skepticism. Furthermore, as a small restoration business owner, Santeri Roivas explained, the term circular economy can be perceived negatively by some local customers, whereas restoration carries more positive associations. This suggests that the concept of the circular economy may be misunderstood or even politicized.

From plans to action

EcoPark is a new concept for sorting and reusing household goods, developed by Parik Foundation, Kymenlaakson Jäte and Xamk as part of the Treasures Lost at the Waste Sorting Station project. EcoPark integrates the circular economy into waste management by bringing companies, service providers and citizens together. A visit to a waste station no longer means discarding goods, but rather giving them a new life through donations. These donations create new business opportunities at EcoPark, where goods are sorted, maintained and sold. Project manager Marika Kurkinen continues this important work, as the ReSolutions project moves the concept from planning into practice.

The Central Baltic Programme and the ReSolutions project play a crucial role in building a circular Kouvola region, as Olli Mustapää of Parik Foundation explained. The project will bring tangible changes to waste management processes while also promoting the circular economy and sustainable consumption. In the future, donations to EcoPark will also feed into libraries of things catalogues, enabling goods to be borrowed rather than owned.

For Parik Foundation, the heart of this transformation lies in the sharing economy. The sharing economy is still evolving, and we do not yet know what kinds of goods we may be borrowing in the future, Mustapää reflected. Inspired by a visit to Fritidsbanken, the Swedish ReSolutions partner specializing in the lending of sports equipment, the project partners have exchanged valuable insights and developed a shared vision for a more sustainable future. While the work has only just begun, the first steps towards pilots have already been taken.

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Read more about the treasures lost at the waste sorting station project here www.xamk.fi/en/project/the-treasures-lost-at-the-waste-sorting-station/ or in Finnish here www.xamk.fi/hanke/jateasemalle-hukatut-aarteet/