remesh: social economy gives a second life to mesh banners and a better life for employees
remesh is a socio-professional business workshop with an environmental impact.
Most of the employees are women from disadvantaged backgrounds (such as minorities, victims of domestic violence and single mothers), due to which they face public stigmatisation and multiple difficulties in becoming financially secure. Each year, remesh supports five or six vulnerable employees through a two-year integration programme giving them access to tailored training which develops their social and professional skills. The employees in the work integration programme are employed not for their technical competence or work experience, but rather because they are genuinely motivated to get (back) on track.
The workshop also has a circular economy business model that yields positive environmental effects: it promotes responsible consumption and production of a plastic material that without a recycling solution usually ends up as an environmental threat. The primary material used is the PVC from banners. They reuse advertising banners and meshes to make useful new products.
Since 2012, remesh has reused more than 140 000 metres of mesh that were transformed into 80 000 new products and supported more than 40 women through their integration path.
- More than 90% of the employees are women in very difficult situations, who are trying to access better life opportunities for themselves and their families.
- The public sector and companies involved have an environmentally-friendly option for their PVC banners. This prevents plastic waste and cuts back on single-use plastic bags, as remesh bags and other products are reusable.
- They have a large B2B client base, enabling these companies to have a real impact on the environment and remesh's employees.