Exploring circular economy solutions in Lahti

From March 24 to 26, the Change(K)now! project partners gathered in Lahti, Finland, to discuss the progress of the project activities. As part of the event, the partners visited the Lahti Lyseo canteen and talked to the development manager for Päijät-Hämeen Ateriapalvelut and the Environmental Guidance Manager for the city of Lahti, which are involved in the pilot case implemented under the Change(K)Now! project.

In the school canteen, hundreds of students enjoy daily free meals served on plates with reusable utensils. “The current issue with packaging materials in professional kitchens is plastic recycling, says Jukka Turta, development manager for Päijät-Hämeen Ateriapalvelut. – For now, plastic goes to incineration waste. Globally, the biggest problem in the industry is metal cans, and we try to find alternatives whenever possible“.

Lahti got involved in the project thanks to Tuula Löytty from Smart & Lean Hub Oy, Change(K)Now! project partner together with the Regional Council of Päijät-Häme. The aim of the piloting of green public procurement criteria is to help large production kitchens order food in more environmentally friendly packaging and implement circular food delivery systems.

Other cities are taking steps too. Copenhagen plans to launch return machines for reusable tableware at 38 locations by August, offering deposit refunds directly to users’ bank cards. In Estonia, disposable tableware was banned at large public events in the summer of 2023, and the ban became nationwide at the beginning of 2024.

These initiatives demonstrate the power of public organizations in driving significant environmental impact, beyond individual actions.

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This text is based on the article written by Minna Kontkanen in Etelä-Suomen Sanomat, published on 26.3.3025.
Photos credit: Aku Mattila Visuals.

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