The depot has a relaxed and helpful atmosphere - wash the carpets and bring the problematic waste

At work in Riksu, there is a story series in which the employees of the city of Riihimäki talk about their work.

Arja Mäkelä cycles to the depot in Riihimäki with small electronics and an old oil lamp going for recycling in his basket. The depot employees immediately help him to take them to the right container.

"I often come here to bring small scraps from our cottage in Lammi", Mäkelä says and praises the good service at the depot.

Foreman Jari Airasmaa says that in spring and early summer the depot is bustling when people start to do spring cleaning.

"You can bring electrical, electronic and metal scrap as well as hazardous waste, which used to be called hazardous waste, here free of charge. These include old paints, solvents, cooling and brake fluids, waste oil, pesticides, lithium batteries, strong detergents and lead batteries.”

You drive into the area through the gate and the employees are immediately there to help break down the load and advise where to put the waste.

"There are often relaxed conversations and it's always nice to notice if a customer leaves with a smile on their face. Customer service is the number one thing here and I train the "boys" in that", laughs Airasmaa.

They are usually job testers who come through employment services and those who work with wage support. Airasmaa used to work as a job coach in a youth workshop, and he continues to provide the same work guidance here.

"It's great to get a work probationer excited and get away from work on a regular basis. One skilled and hard-working guy was on wage support for eight months at a recycling point last year and now he works as a permanent seasonal employee of the park services."

Metal is valuable waste

A trailer of metal arrives at the depot: a grill, an old refrigerator and a computer, a mixed sheet metal, a sauna water tank and a couple of bicycles. The men habitually lift them onto their own pallets and containers at the depot, where everything is tiptop clean. Information technology equipment is packed tightly in order, so that more can fit in the container than by throwing it away.

"With the customer's permission, we recover the bikes that can be refurbished and the recycling center investigates whether they can be refurbished or spare parts can be taken. Huge quantities of metal arrive in early summer, and the city receives payment for them from the recipient of the scrap metal."

Airasmaa presents a container in which liquids are collected. The ph value of unknown liquids is measured so that acids and bases do not mix in the same container. In each container, its contents are written.

"When loading a trailer at home, it's best to store similar ones close to each other, in which case unloading is much faster here. For example, chemicals in one corner, electrical equipment in another."

There is a well-equipped carpet washing area at the east corner of the warehouse, which is open from mid-May to September. It's a pleasure to wash in good pools and platforms, and you can use warm water for 20 minutes for a euro.

"This summer, maybe we will finally get a container for the collection of discarded textile waste at the depot. The difficulty has been the availability of collection containers since the beginning of the year."

The pit is a big workplace

Varikko is a workplace for around 80 people, although two-thirds of the staff mostly work outside the area, for example in parks and real estate.

"We have a lot of heavy equipment, and four vehicle fitters work in our workshop to repair and maintain the equipment. Property managers, handymen, electricians, painters and plumbers also work in the day-to-day maintenance of the city's own buildings. The electrical services are responsible for, for example, street lighting and traffic lights. Varikko's central warehouse delivers, for example, cleaning materials and paper to schools and daycare centers."

Airasmaa's main work is equipment service, i.e. matters related to both heavy and light equipment. But the circular economy is close to his heart, and he is constantly coming up with new ideas related to it.

"Today was a long Teams meeting related to the circular economy. I may have accidentally profiled myself as the contact person for waste issues and recycling. Even today, I have already advised many callers on how to take waste to the right place."

A while ago, a teacher asked if they could come with the class to visit the depot to see how the recycling was going. Airasmaa promised to present the place.

"In addition to recycling, I told about the operation of the city's depot in other ways. The teacher immediately booked three new visits. I'm happy to do this within my own schedule."

The warehouse is located at VO Mäkisen katu 2, 11120 Riihimäki.

Reija Ypyä