Imagine a place where nothing new is sold, yet everything feels like a discovery. That place is ReTuna Återbruksgalleria the world’s first recycling shopping centre, where every item on the shelves has been repaired, reused or upcycled instead of being newly manufactured. The innovative mall opened in August 2015 next to Eskilstuna’s recycling centre and has since become a global example of circular economy in action.
At ReTuna, residents bring unwanted clothes, electronics, furniture, toys and more to a dedicated drop‑off area called Returen. From there, staff and local artisans sort, repair, refurbish or transform these items before they are offered for sale across a variety of shops from fashion boutiques and toy stores to furniture, gardening and electronics outlets.
But ReTuna isn’t just a place to shop it’s a living model of sustainable living. The centre hosts workshops, events and educational programmes that help visitors understand how repair, reuse and creative transformation can drastically reduce waste and resource consumption.
The concept has also had a tangible local impact, creating jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities while drawing international visitors, journalists and sustainability enthusiasts. Its success underscores a simple but powerful idea — that a circular mindset can make sustainable consumption both beautiful and accessible, showing the world that shopping can be good for the planet as well as for people.
