Estonian thrift chain Uuskasutuskeskus launches 24/7 lockers for used goods
Uuskasutuskeskus is installing new thrift lockers in Tallinn and Tartu, making it easier for people to drop off unwanted gently used items anytime, CEO Katriin Jüriska says.
The first new lockers have already been installed in front of the Tähesaju Uuskasutuskeskus in Tallinn's Lasnamäe District. A total of five lockers are planned across Estonia's two biggest cities.
"One of Uuskasutuskeskus' major philosophies is that everything we encounter for the first time in our lives is new to us," Jüriska said. She explained that it doesn't matter if something has been used before.
"When we buy a new car or an apartment, it's rarely actually brand new," she noted. "The same should go for everything else."
The thrift store chain, operating 18 stores and more than 25 donation sites across nine cities — plus an online store — also carries many brand-new items with the original tags still attached, proving reuse and newness can coexist.
This Christmas, Uuskasutuskeskus is encouraging people to choose differently.
"The world doesn't need more stuff; it needs us to make different choices," Jüriska said. "That creates change, because if there's no demand, there's no need for supply."
She added that the new lockers are perfect for fragile items, making it easy for people to donate safely and stress-free whenever it's convenient.
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Editor: Annika Remmel,Aili Vahtla
