Borrow Trash-Grabbers from Library: A Simple Way to Help the Environment
How can you make a real difference in the fight against climate change? A surprising answer might be to simply pick up trash. In Finland, libraries are offering a unique solution: borrow trash tongs to participate in community cleanups and make a sustainable impact on your local environment.
We face a significant challenge with climate change. Waste, particularly litter, worsens the problem and poses a threat to ecosystems globally. In response, one of the most accessible and actionable solutions to tackle this issue is trash picking. In Finland, libraries have introduced a trash-grabber rental service (”Lainaaroskapihdit kirjastosta”) to make trash collection more hygienic, safe, ergonomic, and accessible to everyone.
Despite being available for several years, adoption of the service has been relatively low. This article is based on a service design Master’s thesis that explores how the Nurmijärvi library system and the local municipality are looking to expand and improve this initiative to increase participation and make a more substantial environmental impact.
A Simple, Yet Powerful Climate Action: Trash Collection
Pick up the Trash collection is an easy way for people to engage in environmental action. The concept of ”Plogging” – a combination of jogging and picking up litter – has grown in popularity since it was introduced in Sweden in 2016. While the idea may seem simple, it has not yet become widespread enough. In Nurmijärvi, a family discovered the library’s trash-grabber rental service and began participating in cleaning up their local environment. This simple act of cleaning up public spaces turned into a family activity that fostered a stronger sense of community and responsibility toward environmental protection.
A local family, led by Suji, found the library’s service to be a gateway for engaging with the climate crisis on a personal level. As they participated in regular trash collection, they not only learned more about environmental issues but also created a new family tradition. Suji has since shared her family story and introduced the concept of “Family Plogging” to others through social media. By combining family bonding with eco-friendly actions, this initiative demonstrates how small, everyday efforts can make a big difference(@family_plogging).
Service Design to Enhance Accessibility and Engagement
Although the trash-grabber rental service is a promising step toward encouraging civic participation, the service has not yet reached its full potential. There are several barriers that limit its use, including a lack of awareness and limited accessibility. To address this, a service design project was conducted in collaboration with the Nurmijärvi Municipality’s Environmental Division. The goal was to create a more user-friendly and widely adopted service model.
The research incorporated several methods, including desk research, service safaris, ethnography, surveys, trash activist interviews, benchmarking, customer journey map, service blueprint and co-creation with stakeholders. Key findings suggest that the service has the potential to engage citizens, but it requires stronger promotion and greater availability. Currently, the service is available has low visibility and residents are not fully aware of the consumer citizenship and environmental snowball effects of the activities they can engage in using this service.
Proposed Strategies for Expanding the Service
Based on the findings, several strategies were proposed to make the trash-grabber rental service more accessible and attractive to users:
- Increase Awareness: Strengthen the promotion of the service both online and offline, especially within libraries. This could include targeted advertising and local community outreach campaigns to raise awareness about the availability and benefits of the service. Outside the library, encourage children and youth to participate in clean-up campaigns through school education.
- Expand Availability: Increase the number of locations where the trash-grabbers are available for rent. This could involve placing them in community centers, schools, and public parks, making the service more accessible to everyone.
- Position the Service as a Sustainable Tourism Tool: Leverage the service as a sustainable travel activity for both local residents and tourists. Visitors to Nurmijärvi could borrow trash-grabbers to clean up popular tourist spots, turning trash collection into a community-building and eco-friendly activity for tourists.
Engaging the Community and Local Stakeholders
Expanding the service will encourage collaboration between libraries, local community organizations, pro-environmental influencers and the municipality.
While the service is municipally funded, library staff need sufficient resources and support to manage the rentals effectively. The Division of Environment can work with the municipality’s tourism together to create sustainable travel items through trash collection activities. Citizens and organizations will voice their opinions about outdoor rental services through participatory budgeting, and eco-friendly influencers will promote cleaning campaign activities. Also, promotional efforts, perhaps led by a national library association, could ensure a consistent PR message about the service’s benefits and guide visitors on accessing and using the trash-grabber rental service.
A Small Action for a Big Impact
When spring comes next year (2025) and the snow melts, citizens in Nurmijärvi will have even more opportunities to engage in environmental action by borrowing a trash-grabber from their local library. Whether it’s cleaning up a local playground, schoolyard, or park, these small actions can collectively make a big difference. The trash-grabber rental service not only supports local sustainability initiatives but also helps citizens take concrete steps toward addressing the global climate crisis. The opportunity to participate in climate action at library is now at everyone’s fingertips. All it takes is the will to act, and the trash grabber tools are already available. By increasing awareness and making the service more accessible, Nurmijärvi is leading the way in creating a more sustainable community – one trash grab at a time.
Source:
Lim, S. (2025). Toward Sustainability: A Service Design Approach for Climate Action through Plogging-inspired Trash Grabber Rental Service – Case of Nurmijärvi Municipality Environmental Division. Master’s Thesis. Turku University of Applied Sciences.
Picture: Kid plogging using a trash grabber rented from the Nurmijärvi library (Photo Suji Lim).
The thesis of the graduand in Theseus: https://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/877106