ReWork

Project

303733

Status

Submitted

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You want to submit

NEW EUROPEAN BAUHAUS AWARDS: existing completed examples

Project title

ReWork

Full project title

Description

With ReWork we wanted to further develop the circular economy as well as bring awareness to upcycling as a method of creating job opportunities for individuals furthest from employment market. By developing an operation called Återbruket we have found a way in which to approach sustainalbity on three fronts; environmentally, socially and economically. 

What was the geographical scope of your project?

Does your project address mainly urban or rural issues?

Does your project refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations?

Has your project benefited from EU programmes or funds?

Has your project won an EU prize?

Your project is fully completed?

When was your project implemented?

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes ?

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?

Please provide a summary of your project

We are consuming resources in an unsustainable way and a conversion to a more circular economy is essential. At the same time we see increased gaps in welfare and more people beeing excluded from society. With project ReWork we wanted to approach both these issues by developing an operation called Återbruket within Åre municipality. The objective of Återbruket is to provide individually adapted job opportunities to long-term unemployed witihin the area of upcycling. Återbruket is located in the waste center in Järpen in Åre municipality and gather material that can still be used and then use it in different projects together with the individuals placed there. Återbruket provides tailor-made opportunities for each individual depending on their experience and/or limitations with the goal of a re-entry into the regular workforce. 

What Återbruket does is to stop material from becoming waste and instead rescue it and either renovate it and sell it or use the material itself in the production of something new. One of Återbrukets practices is interior design projects for kindergartens and schools by using all upcycled materials. This also provide a number of opportunities for the individuals placed at Återbruket to gather new experiences. Recent development of Återbruket include renovating the premises to improve the customer experience but also increasing the possibility of gathering and selling more material that would otherwise be disposed of. This will also lead to more job opportunities at Återbruket. Ongoing is together with Norway to develop upcycled products that are easily produced to further increase possibilities for work without much tutorials. 

Please indicate the main themes of your project with 5 key words

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of sustainability (including circularity) and how these have been met.
Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context

The main objecctive of Rework is to help promote the conversion to circular economy in the region and thereby creating job opportinities. This through development of the operation we call Återbruket. Återbruket promotes sustainability in a variety of ways;  

- social sustainability by providing employment to long-term unemployed individuals that because of a number of different reasons arent able to compete on the regular market. 

- Environmentally by helping the municipality to decrease waste and instead look for other ways in which to use the resources that would otherwise have been thrown out. Återbruket also makes a point of raising awareness when it comes to upcycling and use our different channels to share the different designs they come up with. Since Återbruket also has a store where it is able to shop as a private citizen it has also opened  the door for more sustainable consumption in the municipality, 

One of the most important methods is the work thats been done with schools, daycares and other public environments where Återbruket has designed interiors from upcycled materials. This has provided an important way in which to start conversations about how the region and the municipality can change its purchasing processes. This is something Rework works with; to achieve updates in the local guidelines for how to increase upcycling instead of new consumption. 

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience beyond functionality and how these have been met.
Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context

Återbruket has a clear focus on design and aestethics. One of the main issues we come across is to increase the stature of second-hand and upcycling, making it more than just thrifty. ReWork and Återbruket therefore place a lot of weight on design to make it visible that upcyling is to add value. It is craftmanship. When designing environments for especially children it is even more important to add elements of design that make it pleasurable and fun! Examples of this is to transform a simple stool into a mushroom, or a small table into a chessgame. Or why not creating a full workshop for the children where they themselves can use waste to create their own robots? The possibilities are endless! 

The designelement is something that is never compromised with in the interior design projects, it is a must. 

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of inclusion (equal opportunities, public participation, citizen engagement, co-design, universal design, accessibility, affordability, etc.) and how these have been met.
Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context

Reworks main objection is inclusion. All individuals up for a placement at Återbruket get an individually designed development plan and their tasks are fully adapted to individual prerequsites. We also strive toward equality in all ways making sure that the environments reflect that. We prodivde language-training during working hours, we make time for exercise, all communication is gender-neutral and we make sure not to highlight any one religion. All individuals placed at Återbruket are included in all projects in everything from brainstorming to creation. We also strive to using each individuals experience in the projects, making them feel valued and appreciated. 

Please explain how these three dimensions have been combined in your project.
Please highlight how this approach can be exemplary

We combine these three dimensions is all activites performed in ReWork. If we take the redesign of Fjällbackens daycare for example it started it with a request from the principal. Återbruket and its employees thereafter had a brainstorming session about the daycare. After that a moodboard was created and signed off on by the customer, and then we could get to work . Gathering materials and upcycling and redesigning it, all the way creating creative and stimulating tasks for the employed. When done it was installed as a joint effort at the daycare. Examples of this can be seen on Återbrukets instagram. 

Please give information on the results/impacts achieved by your project in relation to the category you apply for

During 2021 we handled 2,2 tons of materials that would have otherwise become waste. By now opening a store with regular opening hours we aim to triple that during 2022. 

Since 2018 Återbruket has employed 38 individuals, of these 7 have gone on straight to external employment (not including everyone who has gone on to antoher municipal amployment). 

Today there are 10 individuals employed at Återbruket bur now with the latest activities this will increase to at least 15 by summer 2022. 

Please explain how citizens and civil society were involved in the in the design and/or implementation of the project.
Please also explain the benefits that derived from their involvement.

Throughout the project we have included our citizens thorugh dialogues and also surveys to gather information of needs and wishes. It has been these that has made us develop Återbruket in the way that is today. Making it more accessible. It is also the citizens input that has shown us that we need even more opportunities to act sustainable. One of the ideas they gave us is to look into more Återbruket on different locations. 

Please explain what kind of global challenges the project addressed by providing local solutions

Waste management and social inclusion. 

We need to better use the resources already available, both when it comes to materials and our citizens. By using the power that is available in all of us we might come up with groundbreaking new ideas. In ReWork we strive to make everyone feel like they have something to offer. The way in which we work togehther with individuals that most budinesses deem hard to employ to create something tangible and highly appreciated has proven quite successful as we see continuos growth in the individuals at Återbruket. Several of which also gained new understanding of necessary changes for a sustainable future, issues that most of them have never engaged in previously. 

Please highlight the innovative character of the project as compared to mainstream practices in the field of the project.

What differs Rework and Återbruket is the level of design that is added to the upcycled materials in combination with it being produced by marginalized individuals. By adding design and creating something completely new we hope to increase the status of upcycling and also in the long run influence an increase in value. The most innvoative part although is the interiors that Återbruket creates. These are complete environments made from upcycled materials but without losing the focus on practicality and eastethics. It is an exemplary way in which to combine sustainability, financially sound choices and aestethics. 

Please explain to the potential of transferring the projects’ results or learnings to other interested parties and contexts.
Please provide clear documentation, communication of methodology and principles in this context.

We already know that a number of other municipalities are interested in similar practices as Återbruket. As of late we have had a dialogue with Östersund who are right now looking into creating an opreation like ours at ther waste-station in Östersund. The method that they are interested in is the combination of decreasing waste while at the same time creating employment. 

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