R E M O T E R E C Y C L I N G O U T P O S T S
32 March 2016
Imagine running a scrap yard covered by one metre of snow for at least four months of the
year with temperatures easily below minus 20
degrees Celsius during the day. To most recyclers,
this would seem like a horror scenario. But for
Lapin Metals of Finland, it is business as usual.
‘Actually, 20 below zero is not a big deal for us
during the winter time,’ says the company’s
co-owner Juhani Pyhäjärvi. According to the
recycler, this is the average temperature; it can
get much colder than that. ‘In January this year
we had minus 35, and these are freezing cold
conditions that make running a scrap yard really
tough, even for us,’ he admits. ‘At some point,
extreme cold does have an effect on the perfor-
mance of your equipment.’
Lapin Metallikierrätys Oy – or Lapin Metals – is
based at Rovaniemi, the administrative capital
and commercial centre of Finland’s most north-
erly province of Lapland, not far from the Arctic
Circle. This sparsely-populated region – just 180
000 people live in an area bigger than Portugal
– is known for its spectacular winter scenery
which is ideal for Nordic sports such as cross-
country skiing and snow scooter safaris rather
than for its recycling industry.
To give an idea of the remoteness of
Rovaniemi, the nearest major city is
By Martijn Reintjes
Recycling International is keen to
learn and write about other interesting
examples of remote recycling outposts,
anywhere in the world. Suggestions can
be emailed to:
[email protected]
Lapin Metals of Lapland
Shearing scrap at
minus 35 Celsius
Above a host of other entrepreneurial skills, it takes courage and
perseverance to run a successful recycling business in the middle of
nowhere. How do you go about organising efficient logistics? From
where do you get help when machinery breaks down? And perhaps
most important of all, how do you cope with the impact of Mother
Nature? In a new series of occasional feature articles, Recycling
International highlights remote scrap recycling outposts from around
the globe, starting off with a trip to the Arctic Circle
in the north of Finland to meet Lapin Metals.
Juhani Pyhäjärvi (left) together with his
brother and the company’s co-owner Jarmo:
‘20 below zero is not a big deal for us.’
