Slåkke fire extinguishers take reuse to the next level
Published 2 Nov 2026 · 3 min read
What if we could save up to 38 000 metric tons of CO2 and 4 000 metric tons of steel every year, simply by reusing fire extinguishers at large scale?
Slåkkefabrikken in Lier is working to achieve exactly that. Every year, around 1 million fire extinguishers in Norway need servicing or replacement. For every refurbished Slåkke fire extinguisher chosen instead of a newly manufactured one, up to 38 kg of CO2 and 4 kg of steel can be saved.
Now the Slåkke 6 kg ABC powder extinguisher has been awarded the Made in Norway label.
“The Made in Norway label will strengthen our position in the market by building confidence among customers and partners and clearly communicating that our products are developed and produced in Norway according to high standards of quality and responsibility.”
Petter L. Mathisen
Head of Business Development at Miljø Norge
It all started in Grandma’s basement
The story began in their grandmother’s basement, where two brothers, who would later become two of the key founders of Miljø Norge, started working with fire safety products while they were students.
Over the years, they gained extensive experience in the fire safety industry and recognised a growing challenge: fire extinguishers were increasingly being replaced rather than serviced and maintained, leaving valuable resources underutilised.
The brothers saw an opportunity to do things differently. By combining industrial-scale operations with automation, they realised that reusing fire extinguishers could become a profitable business, one that made better use of existing resources while creating a positive environmental impact.
Their vision gained further momentum when another family member, today the chairman of the board, recognised the significant commercial potential of the idea and helped turn it into a viable industrial business concept. Together, they laid the foundation for Slåkkefabrikken, established in Lier in 2021 as part of Miljø Norge.
The importance of the circular economy
Slåkkefabrikken has built its business model on keeping existing products in use. It offers homeowners, business and industry a more sustainable alternative to buying new fire extinguishers, without compromising on quality or safety. By choosing Slåkke, customers actively contribute to reducing waste and keeping resources in use.
Slåkkefabrikken collects outdated fire extinguishers from waste management companies including Stena, NG, Franzefoss, Ragn-Sells and Remondis. These are collected, emptied, inspected, refilled and repressurised to become a fully functional and reliable product.
The finished products are then distributed to the market through retailers and building supply chains, including OBS Bygg, Byggmakker, Elektroimportøren and Felleskjøpet, as well as fire safety companies such as Firesafe, Onninen and Branntek.
Automation and digitalisation enable the production line to combine consistent quality with high production volumes. Over time, the facility in Lier is expected to create up to 60 new jobs.
In a highly turbulent geopolitical situation, both in Europe and globally, access to and the reuse of critical products and raw materials have moved to the top of the agenda. Fire extinguishers are one such product. This also applies to all steel and material fractions recovered from the decommissioning of extinguishers. Everything is available from Slåkkefabrikken’s facility.
“All businesses leave a footprint. For us, it is therefore not only about how we can reduce our footprint, but also about the positive handprint we can leave behind. We want to create something positive through reuse, Norwegian production and solutions that allow us to keep resources in use,” says Mathisen.
Growth ambitions
Slåkkefabrikken currently operates primarily in the Norwegian market, but has begun expanding into the Nordic region, with distribution and partnerships in Sweden and Denmark. The company is also seeing growing interest from players outside the Nordics, particularly in markets focused on sustainability and circular solutions.
An important part of Slåkkefabrikken’s growth journey is attracting an international partner or investor who can help the company scale and develop further.
“We have ambitions to take the model out into the world. Interest in circular solutions is growing internationally, and we want to show that it is possible to build profitable industry around reuse. We are now looking for the right partners to help us scale further,” says Mathisen.
Made in Norway is a stamp of quality
The Slåkke fire extinguisher was recently certified and now bears the Made in Norway origin label. For Slåkkefabrikken, the label is an important stamp of quality, highlighting Norwegian production, traceability and sustainability. The company expects the label to strengthen its position in the market by building trust among customers and partners, while clearly communicating that the products are developed and produced in Norway in accordance with high standards of quality and responsibility.
“In the long term, we expect the Made in Norway label to increase visibility, strengthen our position and improve competitiveness, particularly in our efforts to attract international partners and investors,” concludes Mathisen.
