Within the strategy’s focus area Socially Responsible Driving Force, one of the goals is to promote circular solutions in our operations and procurement. This also includes reducing the volume of waste and increasing sorting rates and reuse.
As part of this effort, we have initiated a collaboration with Tromsø’s waste management company, Remiks, to expand their Minireturn scheme. Minireturn is a mobile waste collection service that allows residents to dispose many types of waste close to where they live, eliminating the need to travel to a recycling station.
Such a scheme is particularly beneficial for students, who often do not have access to a car and may struggle to dispose waste that does not fit under the kitchen sink on their own. The challenge was that Minireturn previously had limited coverage and was relatively unknown among students and the general population.
In autumn 2024, we challenged Remiks to expand the scheme to make it accessible to student housing areas in Tromsø. Over time, the dialogue developed into a concrete collaboration in which Samskipnaden provides space for Minireturn facilities at its housing areas, while Remiks expands the operation of the scheme.
From mid-May 2025, Minireturn was expanded with eight new locations:
- Elverhøy student housing
- Prestvannet student housing
- Øvre Breivang student housing
- Dramsvegen Panorama student housing
- Ørndalen student housing
- Stakkevollan student housing
- Storskogåsen student housing
- Åsgårdvegen student housing
“We are here for the students and want to make their everyday lives easier. The service saves time and makes it easier to make environmentally friendly choices,” says Jan Henning Vekve, Operations Manager at Samskipnaden.
Remiks also sees clear benefits from the scheme:
“When we make it easy to dispose waste correctly, people do so. It’s a win-win for both the environment and the residents. Minireturn is a small solution with a big impact — it contributes to correct sorting and a more sustainable Tromsø,” says Ivar Sture Handeland, Communications Officer at Remiks.
Although the Minireturn points are located on the Samskipnaden’s property and close to student housing, this is a public service that can be used by anyone living in the area.
This collaboration is a good example of how facilitating solutions for students can also benefit local communities. In this way, we can be both a welfare provider and a responsible corporate citizen.