Finnish energy company, Fortum is testing an innovative handle that allows customers to use their arms to open doors of refrigerators in supermarkets, minimising touching of doors and handles with palms and fingers.
Customers can place their forearm in the handle to open the doors of refrigerators and freezers in supermarkets without direct contact with the handle.
The company’s brand manager, Jussi Mälkiä, said, "To help fight COVID-19, our interactions with the built environment need to be hands-free.
"By innovating our surroundings, we can prevent the spread of the virus and give people a chance to do their daily chores more safely."
Pilot Project
Fortum will conduct its pilot project for the door handles at select Alepa supermarkets in Helsinki, according to a report in the Helsinki Times.
The sustainable handles are made of Fortum Circo recycled plastics from packaging waste collected from Finnish households, the company said.
"We are now testing the 3D-printed handles in a real environment for a few weeks. If everything goes as planned, we are ready to expand our production," Mälkiä added.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
