How have you organized waste management in the gift shop?

As thoughtfully and practically as possible. Probably our most noteworthy initiative is collecting “well-loved” TalTech-branded textiles—this gives customers a convenient way to direct old textiles to reuse directly from the store. The return box was the idea of one of our students (now an alumnus and employee), and in cooperation with TalTech’s Textile Technology Lab, we are looking for new uses and recycling solutions for the collected items.

We try to use resources to the fullest every day—for example, we enlarge the openings of used tissue boxes and repurpose them as drawer organizers, cut hand towels in half, and collect larger paper scraps for note-taking. Even plastic bags left over from products get a second life at home, even if only as trash bags.

We rarely ship e-store orders in new bubble mailers because we reuse all the packaging materials that come with new products. Our lovely customers also contribute—they bring us used bubble wrap and request reused boxes for their shipments.

What motivates you to reuse everything so thoroughly?

Above all, practicality. We try to order products with as little packaging as possible, preferably none or made from recycled materials. But inevitably, products have to arrive in some form. If usable material remains after unpacking, of course we give it a new life. Why buy new bubble wrap or boxes when perfectly good materials are already available here? It would be a real shame to send all that "gold" to the landfill when we can still make something useful from it.

Many people justify not sorting their waste by saying it’s complicated, there’s no room for bins, and the garbage truck mixes it all anyway. How do you deal with that in the store?

It’s true, our space is small and under the counter we only have room for mixed waste, but we strive to make sure as little ends up there as possible. Today, sorting waste is possible almost everywhere. I think it all comes down to attitude. If you treat sorting as a habit, not an extra burden, it soon becomes a completely natural part of everyday life. Even small steps help—the key is willingness and awareness, not perfection.

Give one good tip for those who currently throw all their waste into one bin.

The easiest way to start is by thinking before you throw something away—can you still use it somehow? If not, then try to separate at least one type of waste. Once that becomes a habit, the rest will follow naturally.

In the context of the gift shop, I’d recommend starting right here. If your TalTech hoodie got scorched at a bonfire or your trusty T-shirt has done its duty after years of wear, bring it back to us. The souvenir shop has a collection box for TalTech-branded textiles where you can conveniently drop them off for reuse—this way, a cherished memory can get a new life.