When Dublin's Ballymun suburb was scheduled for regeneration, a local environmental project redeveloped the neighbourhood's heating plant into a 3D textbook on repair, reuse and refurbish. The Rediscovery Centre, housed in the old boiler house, is now a cutting-edge creative space connecting people, resources and ideas that includes four social enterprises.
In October 2015 the Luxembourg government named the municipality of Wiltz a Circular Economy Hotspot. In February 2018 Wiltz renewed its political commitment with a Circular Economy Charter signed by its municipal council, by which it undertook to mainstream the circular economy in its future project and activities.
The 2023-2029 political declaration keeps up this momentum.
Van Hulley is a Dutch SME that upcycles worn-out shirts into boxershorts, employing disadvantaged women as seamstresses every year and training them to join the labour market more permanently.
Bracenet collects discarded fishing nets, has them upcycled into fabric and then produces unique Bracenets, dog leashes, keychains, and rings in workshops that provide employment opportunities to disabled persons.
Munich has taken its ambitious waste reduction strategy to the next level by developing an innovative reuse lab and shop concept. Its Halle 2 municipal secondhand store not only enables people to take responsibility for living more sustainably, it also provides opportunities for job creation, educational programmes and voluntary activities.
Neva Nahtigal is the Director of RREUSE. In addition to day-to-day management, she is involved in the organisation’s strategic development and leads its policy team. Neva worked internationally as a policy, research and communications consultant specialising in social and economic justice, sustainability and human rights. She then spent six years in the international office of a global civil society network focusing on improving working conditions in the garment industry before joining RREUSE in May 2023. She holds Masters degrees in Media Studies and Public Policy.
RREUSE is an international network representing social enterprises active in the field of re-use, repair and recycling. Drawing on the first-hand experience of its members, RREUSE's mission is to ensure that policies, innovative partnerships and the sharing of best practices promote and develop the role of social enterprises in the circular economy. RREUSE's vision for Europe is built around circular activities that foster social value and create locally inclusive jobs whilst supporting vulnerable individuals.
RREUSE has 31 members across 29 European countries and the USA.
The Solidarity Computers initiative aims to extend the useful life of IT equipment that no longer meets the requirements for use. This can be reused by employees for their personal use by buying it for a symbolic fee, or donated to NGOs or to other external entities.
Following the business model of a sustainable repair shop, R.U.S.Z is a social business which started in 1998 as a work integration social enterprise for long-term unemployed persons.
