A new loan item machine in Kortepohja

Housing, News / 30.8.2024

A new loan item machine, serving all residents of the area, has arrived at the Rentukka community building in the Kortepohja Student Village. The machine will be available for use starting in September. The vending machine offers a total of thirteen different everyday items, ranging from tools and yard games to a textile cleaner. The contents of the machine have been influenced by members of the Kortepohja Student Village Tenants’ Committee and other tenants of Soihtu.

Sharing economy is part of the student village

Shared items have been a part of daily life in the Kortepohja Student Village for decades, with all residents of the student village and members of the Student Union of the University of Jyväskylä able to use items purchased with communal funds from active residents. Now, the service is being modernized so that the items are available to residents 24/7, year-round. Additionally, the benefits of the sharing economy are being extended to other Kortepohja residents, as anyone can use the new rental item vending machine through a dedicated app called Lainappi. The same app also allows users to lend their own items to others.

Previously, shared rental items in the student village could be borrowed from the service desk in Rentukka during its opening hours. The most popular items for borrowing have been vacuum cleaners and other cleaning tools, as well as various tools. According to Sitra, the sharing economy represents a new way of thinking about the economy, where access to goods and services is more important than owning them. Young people, in particular, have become accustomed to the idea that they don’t need to own everything.

“Students often can’t afford to buy expensive tools or textile cleaners. There’s also probably concern about climate change and the sustainability of the planet’s resources. The more we share useful items together instead of constantly consuming, the more we reduce the burden on the environment,” reflects Jenna Pigg, Development Specialist at Soihtu Housing.

For the common good of all

In addition to the items available in the vending machine, students living in Soihtu housing also have access to other shared items maintained mostly by the residents’ committees of the housing units. Two of the housing units have a shared car and communal gardening boxes. During summer months, there is also a shared rowing boat available for tenants by the shore of Lake Tuomiojärvi.

Today, Rentukka offers not only restaurant services but also communal spaces for students, including a gym and various activity, meeting, and study rooms. The gym and the 24/7 study spaces are the most popular. The sharing economy, which includes shared spaces and shared items, also enhances the sense of community among residents.

“We hope that the rental item vending machine will further increase the sense of community throughout the Kortepohja area. Other residents of Jyväskylä are also welcome to try out the rental item vending machine,” says Jenna Pigg.