Refurbish This: A New Swedish Mall Stocks Only Upcycled Products

When it comes to developing ways to upgrade common thrift store finds, we’ve witnessed items that have seen better days go from drab to fab with a little bit of ingenuity and elbow grease. Now, a ton of those refurbished products have found a home in this Swedish mall that is filled with upcycled goods.

Located an hour and a half outside of Stockholm in the city of Eskilstuna, ReTuna Återbruksgalleria, or ReTuna Recycling Galleria, is the ultimate haven for thrifters. The secondhand shopping center features 14 stores and brings its eco-friendly nature full circle with a restaurant that serves organic food, making it the world’s first mall specifically designated for refurbished and recycled goods.

The process that the mall employs to make its products resale-ready is an impressive, structured upcycling movement of sorts. First off, anyone who has an item they want placed in the mall is required to submit it to staff members at The Return, the center’s Recycling Depot. Afterwards, employees sort through the donations before working their magic on the products until they’re polished enough to go back on the shelves.

In addition to giving a new home to refurbished items like household goods, flowers, furniture, toys, building materials and more, shoppers who are interested in upgrading their personal repurposing skills can also attend ReTuna’s on-site DIY repair class. The mall also offers tours, a year-long course titled “Design, Recycle, Reuse”and houses a conference and exhibition facility.

As Inhabitat notes, all businesses in the complex must uphold environmentally-friendly standards, an attitude ReTuna Recycling Galleria manager Anna hopes customers will take home with their purchases.

“These people should be able to come and shop for fine once used to things and gain knowledge and inspiration for reuse, recycling and sustainability,” she said.

For more information on the ReTuna Recycling Galleria, check out their website.