HELSINKI’S RENOVATED OLYMPIC STADIUM ENTERS A NEW ERA– WITH FOUR COMBIMAX WASTE COMPACTORS

When Helsinki’s iconic Olympic Stadium recently underwent a major renovation, the Stadium Foundation entrusted Europress with the design and implementation of a comprehensive waste management solution for the new multipurpose arena. Europress CombiMax waste compactors were duly installed at the new Stadium in July 2020.

The renovation of Helsinki’s iconic Olympic Stadium took 5 years and was completed in 2021.

The Olympic Stadium in Helsinki was originally built in 1938.

The well-functioning cooperation between the Stadium Foundation and Europress began already in 2013. The EcoCompass ecolabel awarded to the Stadium Foundation also obliges its waste management partner to act responsibly.

Ilkka Rautakivi, Real Estate and Security Manager at the Olympic Stadium, got to observe the enormous renovation project of one of the most iconic buildings in Finland from a front row seat. Altogether, the almost total reconstruction took five years to complete.

The renovation project, which began in 2016, was the biggest ever undertaken in Finnish history and was overseen by a steering group representing key stakeholders, including the City of Helsinki, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Stadium Foundation and the Finnish Heritage Agency.

According to Rautakivi, the choice of a supplier of total waste management solutions was especially domestic manufacturing, good quality of work and efficient maintenance. “Even EcoCompass requires that waste matters are handled neatly and expertly,” says Ilkka Rautakivi. “State-of-the-art technology, clean seams and easy operation” characterizes Ilkka Rautakivi Europress’s press properties. There is a large logistics facility underground, where the waste facilities are also located. Europress’s four CombiMax waste compactors with tipping devices can be found in the logistics space.

”TIDY AND EXPERT WASTE MANAGEMENT”

“We removed 27,000 truckloads of soil and construction waste during the reconstruction,” says Ilkka Rautakivi.

The new Olympic Stadium is a forwardthinking and responsible recycler of waste compared to other traditional stadiums in Europe. Waste is generated from the stadium’s day-to-day operations, sports events, concerts, festivals and other major public events.

“We have also taken the environment into consideration by installing maintenance-free composite seats in the stadium that can be incinerated at the end of their service life,” Ilkka Rautakivi adds.

Large logistics facilities covering 2005 square metres have been built underground, where the waste rooms are situated. Four Europress CombiMax waste compactors with tipping devices were installed in July 2020.

According to Rautakivi, Europress was selected to supply the comprehensive waste management solution in part because its products are made in Finland, but especially because of their high quality and the excellent maintenance services.

“Our EcoCompass environmental certification also requires us to have tidy and expert waste management. Europress waste compactors offer state-of-the-art technology and a safe and clean design, and they are also easy to operate,” Ilkka Rautakivi, Real Estate and Security Manager at the Olympic Stadium confirms.