Nordic Assets creates circular market for used fire extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are a life-saving product that also packs an environmental punch. From production to disposal, they are a source of significant CO₂ emissions, mineral extraction and hazardous waste. Fire extinguishers are not unique in this regard. They are typical of any product in the linear economy.

“We want to change the way people think about used products. What is often seen as waste can still hold significant value when the right systems and partnerships are in place,” explains Norheim.

Through its circular business model, Nordic Assets refurbishes expired fire extinguishers and returns them to the users, as good as new. Service is done on an automated production line, where the fire extinguishers are emptied, inspected for damage, refilled, repressurised and cleaned.

The automated process enables refurbishment at a large scale. The company currently holds a permit to receive and process up to 600 000 fire extinguishers annually, with an estimated 300 000 units expected to be refurbished and returned to the market through its production line.

This capacity is expected to cover the majority of market demand in Norway and Sweden.

Fire extinguishers that cannot be refurbished are processed for material recycling. Nordic Assets continuously works to improve material recovery rates and resource efficiency, following the principles of the waste hierarchy, with reuse prioritised over recycling.

“The production line refurbishes a fire extinguisher in 50 seconds. This gives us the potential to service 300 000 fire extinguishers a year. These numbers could serve the entire Norwegian and Swedish markets,” explains Norheim.

The first production line is up and running in Norway. The process can be scaled in other European countries as well, as the EU has common standards for fire extinguishers.

Nordic Assets’ solution increases circularity in the market and reduces the need to import new fire extinguishers, which normally come from China.

“One reused fire extinguisher from Miljø Norge prevents 38 kg of CO₂ emissions and extraction of 12 kg of iron and powder of iron ore which is used to produce the extinguisher,” explains Norheim.

“When users choose a refurbished product, there are environmental benefits from reduced raw material extraction, less hazardous waste disposal and fewer shipping emissions.”

Moreover, fire extinguishers can be refurbished at least three times, extending the product’s life by 20 years or more.

With demand for fire extinguishers increasing worldwide, the global market size is expected to reach USD 7.2 billion by 2028. Today the EU alone has around 200 million fire extinguishers, and 25–30 million of these must be replaced each year.

“Since commencing operations, we have refurbished and returned more than 200 000 fire extinguishers to the market through our production facility. We currently receive tens of thousands of fire extinguishers every month, and expect annual intake at our facility in Lier, Norway, to exceed 500 000 units by 2028.

The company plans to launch automated production lines in other European markets in the next year or two. Its customer base includes fire prevention companies, insurance companies, retailers and institutions such as schools and hospitals.