Until January 1, Sidingen is the director of the administration, operation and maintenance unit of the municipality of Indre Ostfold. However, in the new year, he will take up a project position that involves reusing municipal furniture – as well as being responsible for waste management in all municipal buildings.
Large furniture warehouse
The pavilion in Scolegata in Askim has several vacant rooms after the departure of employees in the cultural department. The rooms were filled with used office furniture. A lot of the furniture has now been taken out, but there is still a lot of furniture there. Among other things, there is an entire room with tables, while another room is full of desks. In the next room there are stacked cabinets and shelves. Municipal employees regularly come there to see if they can find something they can use.
– Says Saidingen: – I take my hat off when I see a lot of people who come here to have a look instead of buying new things.
-Is this something other municipalities do as well?
– At least I know that the municipality of Nordrevolo has the same scheme, he says.
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The municipal building is clean
The Town Hall in Trogstad was recently cleaned. All the furniture will eventually be transported to the warehouse in Askim. After one wing of the Edwin Road Care Center was also disinfected, the furniture arrived from there.
In the warehouse there are many tables and chairs from municipal schools. Some of this was set up in the library at Askim City Hall.
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– I think it’s great that used furniture can be reused, says consultant Liv Moen at the service market in Askim. It shows a lockable safe that was taken from a used warehouse. The loaner sewing machines are locked there. Because when the library is closed, but still more open for patrons to come in, sewing machines are not available. The cabinet is painted in beautiful colours.
Moen also displays a long table with chairs taken from a warehouse. A smaller table is set up with a chessboard from which users can borrow pieces.
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Cleaning service in the new year
Odd Kenneth Sydengen announces major clean-up efforts in the new year. With the help of employees, the used furniture will be transported from the municipal buildings to the warehouse in Askim.
The application will be launched on the municipality’s internal network. There, employees can inspect furniture in the used warehouse.
The plan was to launch it in January, but testing was conducted earlier. He says the interest has been very high.
In the municipal framework agreement, the project manager can check the new price for the used furniture. Sydengen now has surprisingly good news.
– Since June this year, the municipality has saved NOK 470,000 by reusing furniture instead of buying new ones, he reported with satisfaction.
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– Recycling is in order
Property manager Odmund Vintland says it’s time to reuse, both to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and in light of the municipality’s limited finances.
– We have to rethink and connect technology – such as the municipality’s new recycling portal. Most of all, we want to move used furniture horizontally and not necessarily through a warehouse. Then we reduce transportation costs. He says municipal staff are really good at reusing ICT equipment.
But Vintland thinks further. The municipality must also reuse building materials.
Doors, office facades and ceilings are just a few examples of things that can be usefully reused and re-entered the cycle, he says.
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