Open letter – Unique Opportunities to Unlock the Potential of Social Economy in Making the Green Transition a Just One

Over 80 leaders from international networks, NGOs, and national organisations from 18 European countries have joined their voices in an open letter. Focusing on the urgent issue of textile waste, RREUSE and co-signatories call on policy makers to unlock the potential of social economy in the ongoing Waste Framework Directive revision to make the green transition a just one.

To level the playing field and give social economy a chance to live up to its potential co-signatories jointly call upon EU policymakers to:

• Uphold all positive provisions on the social enterprises’ role in the collection and management of used and waste textiles that the European Commission included in its proposal for a WFD revision;

• Grant decision-making power for social enterprises, alongside municipalities, in the Extended Producer Responsibility schemes’ governance;

• Require that Extended Producer Responsibility fees cover all costs associated with re-use and preparing for re-use activities carried out by social enterprises, including the management of residual waste;

• Ensure that social enterprises maintain ownership over the used and waste textiles they collect.