Paper collection began in Finland in the 1920s, operated by various associations. Recycled paper was an important addition to the paper industry, as it helped save production costs for new paper.
Suomen Jätekeskus Oy, now known as Paperinkeräys Oy, was founded in 1943, partly to alleviate the raw material shortage in the paper industry, and systematic collection began with trial collections in 1947. Initially, rewards included sweets, sugar, and rice. Later, rewards included a variety of goods and even language courses. Children received Meccano construction sets and Siro dolls.
Once the worst of the raw material shortage ended, there was a need to offer better rewards for consumers to maintain motivation for paper collection. The most valuable rewards distributed were men's and women's watches, as well as Danish table silver.
Newspaper advertisement for a collection campaign from 1966
"Exchange Paper for a Watch" campaign
Watches were included as rewards in the collection campaign in 1951 through the "Exchange Paper for a Watch" campaign. In Finland, during the rationing period, watches were very expensive in stores, so watches acquired with waste paper were also sold forward.
Domestic watch companies and watchmakers perceived the campaign as grey import, so partners were sought from Switzerland and a dedicated watchmaker was hired for the campaign.
The watches were selected and acquired by SOK's watchmaker Olavi Ericsson. Initially watches were German Porta watches, but soon Swiss-made Stima, Regalis, Nostra, and Margo brand watches were used. The movements were of mediocre quality, with 15–17 jewels, and men's watches had a small second hand. The women's Regalis watch was equipped with only hour and minute hands. There is no information on the exact number of watches given out, but thousands were exchanged for paper.
An automatic and a mechanical Regalis wristwatch side by side on top of a newspaper clipping about the campaing.
Various Stima wristwatches from the collection campaign era.
A women's gold-plated Regalis and a rarer Nostra "paper" watch.
Kesko's private retailers, barbers, hairdressers, shoemakers, second-hand shops, etc., accepted paper and gave out value vouchers based on weight, which could then be used to purchase exchange items. In addition to the value vouchers, money also had to be paid for each purchase.
Margo paper collection watch with a chain bracelet.
Paper collection watches are an interesting part of our country's watch history, and they are associated with supplementary materials such as newspaper clippings, collection slips, brochures, and the original cardboard box that came with the watch. Very few Porta paper collection watches are circulating among enthusiasts. The same watch brands were also sold in Europe at the time.
How much paper had to be collected for one wristwatch?
Initially, to get one wristwatch, one had to collect 500 kg of paper and also pay an additional 1500 FIM. One kilogram of paper was paid at 3 FIM, so the total cost of the wristwatch calculated this way came to 3000 FIM.
Regalis watches newspaper advertisement from 1965, when only 200kg of paper needed to be collected to buy a wristwatch.
After the Paper Collection Campaign
After the campaign, some businesses continued to accept waste paper alongside their other operations until the 1970s, offering Haka, Helvetia, and Olma brand watches as rewards, among others.
Collecting and recycling paper has been a great success since its early experiments. The paper industry gained usable raw material and saved valuable timber for other processing. By collecting paper, many associations and schools acquired televisions and other educational equipment. Today, the paper recycling rate is high, even though we no longer receive watches in exchange for recycling it.
The blog post is based on a newspaper article written by Pentti Suni from the Rajan Raha 1/2015 magazine.