The project partners will develop an app for correct waste management and work on establishing return policies for packaging and isolation. They will also work on reinstating metal crafts in primary school and initiate dialogues with architects and manufacturers on standardization of colored metal.
“We are excited to hear that the work on primary schools has already started in Norway and that a compendium of projects and contact details to local tinsmith workshops will be sent to all schools during Autumn 2022”, says Hege Guttormsen, Higher Executive Officer at Nordic Innovation.
A true Nordic project
The main objective of the Metal Waste Reduction project has been to identify action steps that will reduce the amount of metal waste from 1.600 Nordic tinsmith workshops by 30% as well as to prepare members of partner organizations for future environmental legislation.
Read more about the Metal Waste project
“The project has achieved much more than planned for, simply by cooperating across the Nordics, and getting input and ideas from each other. A true Nordic project”, says Marthe Haugland, Senior Advisor at Nordic Innovation.
A handbook summarizing the six steps including all the results and findings will be sent to Nordic tinsmith workshops during Autumn 2022.
“Besides the six concrete steps, one of the interesting project learnings was that language matters. The project went from talking about metal waste, to metal spillage. This changed the way people in the workshops perceived the value of the leftover metal”, Marthe continues.
Six concrete steps for the tinsmith industry
The purpose of the six identified tools is to provide tinsmith workshops with concrete tools that will help them to implement more sustainable workflows.
1. Raise awareness within the company
All employees must be informed and included in the sustainability work for theory to work in practice. A joint effort is required if you want to make changes to the daily routines of a company.
2. Challenge tender descriptions
There are often clear requirements for delivery and method in the tender descriptions that subcontractors are expected to follow when delivering a tender. By pointing out areas with room for improvement and suggesting alternative more sustainable methods, materials and tools, even smaller companies can contribute to change.
3. Purchasing and dialogue with suppliers
By making an overall purchasing plan, deliveries can be coordinated, and transport emissions and waste reduced. Good cooperation with the suppliers is a decisive factor.
4. Measure twice - cut once
Wrongful measurements have been identified as one of the main reasons for the excess of metal waste. Establishing clear routines and using appropriate digital tools will make measuring more predictable and reduce the risk of faulty production.
5. Make it easier to reuse within the workshops
Simple changes such a moving leftover metal pieces closer to the machines, makes it easier to reuse instead of getting new sheets of metal.
6. Sort waste correctly
Increased focus on correct recycling, by being more selective on what is sent to recycling and sorting different types of metal, means less waste and better compensation.
Background
The Metal Waste project was funded under the Nordic Sustainable Business Transformation program which ran from 2020 – 2022. It was designed to enable cooperation actions that can turn strategies into concrete solutions in order to reduce the CO2 footprint, optimize material use, promote innovations and implement new business models.
Read more about the Nordic Sustainable Business Transformation program
