© Ville Jäppinen
Ii is a seaside municipality of some 10,000 residents in North Ostrobothnia. It is working towards an 80% decrease in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020, which sets the deadline an astounding 30 years earlier than the EU climate goals. In addition to this, the municipality has committed to recycling, reducing the generation of waste and consuming shared resources within the capacity of our planet.
What has already been done in Ii to promote the circular economy?
In order to reduce food loss, surplus food can be bought at the Ii municipal school every day. Food tickets can be obtained from the service point at the municipal office. Surplus food can also be purchased at lunch restaurant Salotti. Local grocery shops distribute surplus food items through local associations.
Construction waste is utilized and recycled for use in the structures of outdoor and recreational areas and the workshop activities organized by the municipality, for example. Textiles and furniture no longer used by the municipality are also reutilized and refurbished at workshops.
The municipality has explored the possibilities for establishing a sharing economy with regard to the mobility of municipal residents. The municipality has conducted a public transportation survey, based on which a new car sharing solution is currently being piloted. In addition to this, sharing economy models for the municipality using fully electric vehicles are currently being examined.
Goals as a pioneering municipality
The aim is to become a model municipality for the circular economy, which serves as a regional circular economy accelerator and as a test platform for new technologies and methods. Another objective is to implement the operating models of successful energy and climate efforts in the circular economy and engage all municipal operators through innovative methods, such as service design.
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