Charity shops are the most basic form of circular economy-driven supply chains: people donate unwanted items rather than throwing them away so that they can be put to use by someone else.

La Poubelle is a variation on the theme of charity shops: it's a goods bank tailored specifically to the needs of people facing hard times.

Launched in 1978 as a warehouse for goods received from Tilburg (NL) residents for the homeless, La Poubelle set up a goods bank in 2008. Working with more than 30 aid organisations in Tilburg, the goods bank complements the thrift shop and is exclusively intended for people living in poverty. People who qualify for the goods bank receive a standard 50% discount on the regular selling price. People in particularly difficult circumstances qualify for free goods.