RREUSE

RREUSE (Reuse and Recycling Social Enterprises in the European Union) is an international non-profit network (NGO), linking social enterprises active in the field of reuse, repair and recycling sector. It puts the three pillars of sustainability: environmental protection, social equity, and economic viability, at equal level. [1][2][3][4] [5]

Mission and Activity

RREUSE's mission is to lobby at European level for stronger policies in favour of repair and reuse of end-of-life products to avoid those becoming waste too early. RREUSE also participates on social economy legislation with a specific focus on green employment linked to social inclusion and training initiatives for those, most removed from the labour mainstream market. [2]

RREUSE activities (according to the statutes), include:

  • collaboration with other EU environmental and social NGO’s, networks and federations
  • to encourage and strengthen collaboration between the member organisations, to promote good practice, research and development activities, new initiatives and partnership in waste management
  • to enable member organisations to exchange information concerning national and local policy, legal and fiscal frameworks in relation to re-use, recycling, waste management, import and export, social provisions, social clauses, public procurement, etc.
  • to represent and promote the network and its activities at all relevant European and international levels.[6]

RREUSE also carries out international projects in cooperation with other institutions like universities and research centres, for example the LOWaste Project or the Quali Pro Second Hand Project II (a European project on the innovation transfer of a qualification profile "second hand").

In 2011, RREUSE received the European Week for Waste Reduction award for the campaign.

Origin

Interests in social enterprises working together in environmental services increased during 1999-2001. A few events and projects were set by a few organisations from the social economy sector. Some organisations also started working together on the forthcoming European WEEE Directive (adopted in 2001), to address the concern about the possible impact of the WEEE-Directive on social enterprises working in the recycling and reuse sector. In November 2000, a decision was made to develop a European network of social enterprises working in the waste sector to provide a forum for political debates and unfolding legislation in Brussels on a more regular basis. Finally, a network of 17 social enterprises elaborated the constitution in Barcelona was constituted on 26 February 2001. Representatives from the European Parliament, Belgium Ministry for Social Economy, and the Directorate Environment of the European Commission appreciated the foundation of the network and expressed their general support.[7] RREUSE was founded under the Belgium law with the status of a Non-profit organisation. RREUSE members are: [6]

  1. AERESS (Spain)
  2. Association Citizens "Hands" (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
  3. Associazione Orius (Italy)
  4. BKN (Netherlands)
  5. Cooperativa Sociale Insieme (Ireland)
  6. CRNI(Ireland)
  7. CRNS (UK)
  8. Dobrote z.b.o (Slovenia)
  9. donateNYC (United States)
  10. Ecological Recycling Society (Greece)
  11. EKON (Poland)
  12. Emmaüs Europe
  13. Emmaüs France (France)
  14. ENVIE (France)
  15. Herwin (Belgium)
  16. Humana Nova (Croatia)
  17. Humusz Szövetség (Hungary)
  18. Kierrätyskeskus Oy (Finland)
  19. Klimax Plus (Greece)
  20. Macken (Sweden)
  21. RECOSI (Ireland)
  22. RehabRecycle (Ireland)
  23. RepaNet (Austria)
  24. RESSOURCES (Belgium)
  25. Reuseful UK (UK)
  26. Tramel Oy (Finland)
  27. Uuskasutuskeskus (Estonia)

In 2003, RREUSE opened a secretariat for Belgium and international environmental and social NGO's at Mundo-B house, an ecologically renovated office building, the centre of Brussels,

The network RREUSE has a non-bureaucratic structure. The members meet 3 times a year working on the different waste streams, such as:

  • WEEE (Waste electrical and electronic equipment),
  • Textiles,
  • Bulky waste,
  • Bio-waste,
  • Resource consumption and product policies etc.

Most of the work is done by volunteer members between the meetings.

Funding

RREUSE is financed by the membership fees. In the first two years RREUSE received seed funding from the Belgian Government to promote the launch of the organisation. Later, RREUSE received some funding by DG Environment and DG Education.[8] Recently RREUSE has received funding from Fondation de France.

See also

References
  1. "Official List of Member organisations" (PDF). European Commission.
  2. "Transparency Register: RREUSE". European Commission. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  3. Arold, Heike. "Proposal for a network design strengthening the professionalisation process in the Second-Hand sector" (PDF). ITB - Institut Technik und Bildung Universität Bremen. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  4. "The network of RREUSE". Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  5. "Inventory of the policies and stakeholders of waste prevention in Europe" (PDF). Taken for the European project by RREUSE European Week for Waste Reduction (SERD – EWWR). Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  6. "Statutes RREUSE" (PDF). Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  7. "Europäisches Netzwerk im Bereich Gebrauchtwaren und Recycling gegründet". BAG Arbeit. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  8. "Parliamentary question to Halting RREUSE subsidies: Answer given by Mr Potočnik on behalf of the Commission". EU Commission. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
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