Insights
Companies that operate in closed loops while applying social economy principles, create added value on two levels.
As the Circular Playbook highlights, the social and circular economyThe circular economy is a restorative and regenerative economy. By maintaining the value of the products, materials and resources in the economy through smart product design, repurposing and/or shared use of products, it reduces the extraction of natural resources by using resources already present in the economy. can reinforce one another. The transition to circular business models generates new opportunities for sustainable employment, while labour itself drives the circular economy. Employees with specific skills or needs play an important role in this process.
Employment opportunities
Researchers expect that the shift towards circular working will increase employment. As considerable manual labour is required to collect, sort, repairRepair is making a faulty product work again, allowing its use to be extended without the user parting with it, or with a view to reuseReuse designates all operations by which substances, materials or products that are not waste are used again in an identical way to their originally intended purpose. (donation, second-hand sale). and resell products given a second life, this business model offers opportunities for craftsmen, technical or creative staff and low-skilled workers. Read all about it in this article. In 2020, Research by KU Leuven and the MICHELLE project already showed that employment in Belgian circular sectors grows faster than in the rest of the economy. To further strengthen the link between circularityCircularity describes the quantity of materials managed in a closed loop. and (social) employment, WSE and Vlaanderen Circulair established 12 hubs. These hubs bring the right people together and support new collaborations so they to thrive. In Wallonia the Direction de l’Economie Sociale ensures support and recognition for the social economy initiatives.
Second-hand is in vogue
Buying and selling second-hand items is a perfect example of how circular and socially responsible entrepreneurship can go hand in hand. Moreover, the second-hand market is on the rise: more and more people are donating or buying used goods. In 2023, nearly four in five Belgians donated clothes, toys, furniture, books or other items to friends, family, acquaintances or second-hand stores. In addition, 44% also bought second-hand items, a notable increase from 38.5% in 2022. More figures are available at herwin.be.
Hunting for treasures online and offline
Every year, 130 “Kringwinkels” shops ensure that around 6 kg of items per Flemish resident are given a new life, the equivalent of a CO2 saving of 73,000 tonnes. This is made possible by the efforts of more than 6,000 people who find tailored work there and receive guidance to further develop their professional skills. On uwkringding.be, you can even place an online bid on some of the rarer items. The second-hand market is thriving in Wallonia and Brussels as well. LaRECUP.be has recently begun centralising the offerings from Walloon and Brussels second-hand shops and social enterprises on an online platform, with some 43,000 items waiting to be discovered. The project aims to create approximately 1,500 jobs by 2030.
SMEs can draw inspiration from the successful interaction between the social and circular economy as demonstrated by second-hand shops. Looking for more inspiring stories and insights? You can find them on the Go for Circular website of the FPS Economy.
