As public interest in more environmentally friendly everyday habits grows, the specialised sorting and drop-off points available at shopping centres are being used more and more actively. Data from partners of the AKROPOLE Alfa and AKROPOLE Rīga shopping and entertainment centres shows that visitors are increasingly deliberate about handing in items they no longer need for reuse or recycling. Over the course of 2025, more than 540 tonnes of textiles, household items and electronics were sorted at the two centres combined and passed on for reuse or safe disposal.

With World Environment Day, marked on 5 June, approaching, AKROPOLE Alfa and AKROPOLE Rīga are encouraging the public to pay attention to simple everyday habits that help reduce waste and promote reuse of resources – going through their wardrobes and taking items they no longer need but that are still usable, or worn-out electrical appliances, to one of the drop-off points available at the shopping centres.

To give people convenient and accessible infrastructure, specialised drop-off points have been set up at both shopping centres. Visitors to AKROPOLE Alfa can use “Otrā Elpa” donation bins as well as an “Eco Baltia vide” container for sorting electrical appliances and a textile-sorting container, while at AKROPOLE Rīga textile-sorting containers operate actively in cooperation with the household waste management company “CleanR” and the association “Dari Labu”.

“Often what puts people off sorting isn't a lack of willingness, but a lack of convenient options along their everyday routes. That's why we see that drop-off points in places where people already shop or spend their free time help turn sustainable habits into a natural part of daily routine. Aware of the scale and advantages of our infrastructure, we're pleased that visitors are making increasingly active use of these options, together reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill and giving items a second life,” says Kaspars Beitiņš, general director of SIA “Akropole Latvija”, which manages the AKROPOLE shopping and entertainment centres.

Items and electronics handed in at AKROPOLE Alfa exceed 470 tonnes

The donation points set up at AKROPOLE Alfa show impressive results. In 2025, a total of 271.75 tonnes of items were collected in “Otrā Elpa” donation bins, where people hand in clothing, footwear and other useful household items. The most pronounced waves of donation activity were seen in spring and at the end of summer. The items collected go to the “Otrā Elpa” warehouse, where they are sorted. Around 70% of donated items suitable for reuse go to charity. A further roughly 10–15% of items are offered for sale in “Otrā Elpa” charity shops, whose proceeds help keep the whole charitable process running and provide financial support for socially important projects. The positive trend has continued this year too: in the first months of 2026 alone, more than 74 tonnes of donated items have already been sorted, confirming the public's growing engagement in the circular economy, responsible consumption and strengthening a culture of mutual support.

The shopping centre also has an “Eco Baltia vide” electronics-sorting point, which gives people a safe, environmentally friendly way to dispose of worn-out electronics. According to “Eco Baltia vide” data, the volume of electronics collected last year reached 160 tonnes. This year, more than 60 tonnes of worn-out electronics have already been sorted and passed on for recycling. The same location also has an “Eco Baltia vide” textile-sorting container, into which more than 42 tonnes of textiles were handed in last year.

Around 70 tonnes of textiles handed in at AKROPOLE Rīga over the year

Data from the “Dari Labu” association for 2025 shows that shopping centre visitors sorted around 40 tonnes of clothing over the year. Activity grew steadily quarter by quarter, peaking in the autumn and winter seasons. Notably, the quality of the textiles handed in was high: 8 tonnes were in excellent, or Premium, condition and 18 tonnes in average condition, allowing these clothes to go straight back into reuse. A further 12 tonnes of textiles were redirected for recycling (into rags), while only 2 tonnes were sent for disposal. The target for this point next year is to reach 55 tonnes.

The textile container provided by environmental services company “CleanR” has also been making a steady contribution since late 2022, collecting around 30 tonnes of material suitable for reuse and recycling each year.

Information about the drop-off points and how they operate is available on the websites of AKROPOLE, “Otrā Elpa”, “CleanR”, “Dari Labu” and “Eco Baltia vide”.