Shared use items from a box: the trial starts in three areas in Tampere
The rental service is a part of a sub-urban sharing economy trial, which is itself part of the Carbon Neutral Actions development programme of the City of Tampere, and it promotes the shared use of goods and vehicles.
– The aim is to offer Tampere residents new opportunities to promote sustainably in their everyday lives. Renting and borrowing items instead of buying them is an important way to reduce emissions from consumption and thus also support Tampere's climate neutrality goal. By sharing items, we also avoid the need to store and repair them – making everyday life easier, says Tiina Leinonen from the City of Tampere.
Lainappi Oy is a Tampere-based company founded in 2020 that develops the rental of household items. The company has worked with municipalities and foundations, among others, to promote shared use.
– People have a lot of things lying unused in corners. At the same time, there are people who only need something for a short time. Lainappi's mission is to promote the use of existing items and minimise the production of new ones, says Kimi Siefen from Lainappi Oy.
The inventory is updated according to the wishes of Tampere residents
Renting items from the shared goods box is done via the Lainappi app. The range of items in the boxes involved in the trial varies according to location. The rental prices start from a few euros.
– At the start, hit products from previous experiences, such as textile and steam cleaners, and summer season products, such as outdoor games, will be available. Users can also request items they want to rent and we will update the inventory according to their wishes, says Aukusti Eskola from Lainappi.
You can influence the inventory of goods by submitting a suggestion for items to rent in the city's survey. Those who submit their suggestions will be entered into a prize draw for free rental periods.
– The aim is to make the service as accessible as possible to people in different areas. Throughout the summer, we will be collecting requests for rental items through a survey. Now is a good time to make a difference, encourages Tiina Leinonen.
The trial will run until the end of October 2025. The locations of the shared goods boxes involved in the trial are:
- Tesoma Welfare Centre (hyvinvointikeskus), next to the library and youth centre (Tesomankatu 4 A, 33310 Tampere). Have a look at the goods in the Tesoma box.
- Vuores Sale building, entrance from Vuoresaukio, right door (Vuoreksen puistokatu 87, 33870 Tampere). Have a look at the goods in the Vuores box.
- K-Citymarket Linnainmaa, in the parking hall next to the elevator (Mäentakusenkatu 1, 33580 Tampere). Have a look at the goods in the Linnainmaa box.
How to rent items from a box:
- Download the Lainappi app and create an account. To rent items, add a payment card in your profile. You can also view the inventory without creating a user account.
- Find the items you want to rent. Please note that the same app is used to rent goods both from Lainappi boxes and directly from other app users. For example, to see the Tesoma Box inventory, type "Tesoma Box" in the search and tick the "Rent from box only" option. You will see both the items available for rent and the items that are reserved.
- Select the items and check the rental conditions. Click "Rent" and add your preferred pick-up and return times. Submit the rental request and pay for the rental.
- Pick up the items from the box when the rental period starts. Stand next to the box and click the "Open box" button in the Lainappi app chat to open the box. Remember to close the door afterwards.
- Return the rented items and all the accessories and instructions that came with it by the agreed return time to avoid additional charges. When returning the items, you can open the box by clicking the "Open box" button in the same chat. Make sure you are standing next to the box.