RREUSE network recently gathered in Berlin for the “Stitching together a Social and Circular future for Textiles” conference that brought together leading experts, social entrepreneurs, policymakers, and social enterprise leaders. Together, we imagined a world where fashion is not just a means of self-expression but a force for positive change.
RREUSE welcomes the proposed text of the revision of the Waste Framework Directive as a major milestone in recognising the pivotal role of social enterprises active in re-use. The text published by the European Commission on 5 July rightfully acknowledges these social enterprises as historical and key actors for the circular transition of the textile sector.
RREUSE welcomes the European Commission (EC) ’s proposal for a Council Recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions published June 13th, a flagship initiative of the Action Plan on the Social Economy (SEAP) aimed at encouraging EU Member States to create better-enabling environments for social enterprises and all social economy actors across pertinent policy areas.
RREUSE welcomes the report on an EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles that the European Parliament (EP) adopted on 1 June 2023. Whereas the EP report could have gone further in tackling key issues, it does address some of the missing pieces in European Commission’s proposal and is a crucial step toward a more ambitious circular and social framework for the future of the textile sector.
RREUSE welcomes the appointment of Neva Nahtigal as the new Director of the secretariat, and Jana Zurkova as the Deputy Director.
RREUSE is excited to announce its membership to WEAll! The Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) is the leading collaboration of organisations, alliances, movements and individuals working towards a Wellbeing Economy, delivering human and ecological wellbeing.
At RREUSE Network’s latest General Assembly in March 2023, we warmly welcomed two new members who will enrich our circle and add value to our goals, vision, and mission.
RREUSE welcomes the Commission’s intention to tackle misleading claims and greenwashing practices through the introduction of minimum criteria for the substantiation of green claims. However, the initiative still presents remaining issues.
The proposal is a cautious step forward towards promoting repair and refurbishment, but still falls short of introducing a true right to repair for EU citizens. A “right to repair” legislation was initially announced in the 2021 State of the Union address as part of the European Green Deal, with the aim of extending the lifespan of products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste, while also creating green and local employment opportunities.
RREUSE welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on Critical Raw Materials that was first announced by President Von der Leyen in her 2022 State of the European Union address, but reaching the aims of the Regulation will not be possible without a concrete commitment to reduce material demand by prolonging the useful life of products through re-use and repair activities.
Close cooperation on harnessing digital trends across the social enterprise community was at the heart of discussions at RREUSE’s 4th International Conference on the digital era of social enterprises active in the circular economy. November 16th and 17th 2022 found over 100 enthusiastic participants in Vienna for the highly anticipated event.
RREUSE’s latest General Assembly took place on the 16th of November 2022, and included the warm welcome of two new Associate Members to the network!