Our study “Putting people and skills at the core of the circular economy: 18 stories from social enterprises” is officially released today! Through this collection of stories and the extraction of conclusions from them, this report highlights the vital role that social enterprises can play in upskilling and reskilling workers for a more circular economy, and reveals that without a clear understanding of the skills needed in a circular economy, it will be difficult to tailor training programs that ensure a balanced labor supply and demand.

RREUSE is enthusiastic to announce the submission of its first pledge as part of the Transition Pathway for the Proximity and Social Economy ecosystem, which aims at addressing capacity and skills gaps within the circular economy.

In the context of the consideration of the European Parliament’s draft report on the EU Strategy for sustainable and circular textiles, RREUSE, together with 6 civil society organisations recalls the necessary actions to make the textiles strategy an effective tool to shift the sector towards circularity as well as environmental and social sustainability.

RREUSE greatly welcomes the Commission’s proposal for the 2023 European Year of Skills which also acknowledges the social economy’s decisive role as a proponent of a socially fair and inclusive twin transition including in the field of upskilling and reskilling.

On November 30, the Commission released its proposal for a new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation as part of its second Circular Economy Package, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of packaging by removing its usage where unnecessary while also making packaging more reusable and recyclable.

RREUSE has recently contributed to a report lead by Unpackaged and commissioned by the Rethink Plastic Alliance aiming to outline conditions, criteria, and recommendations for scaling up re-usable packaging systems in line with a just transition.

E-waste is a unique waste stream because it contains both precious materials and hazardous substances, creating a concrete threat of environmental degradation if illegal actors motivated by the prospect of high profits engage in improper disposal.

This article aims to showcase how social enterprises contribute to an inclusive and just circular transition. It does so in three key areas: job creation, reskilling and upskilling, and provision of affordable essential goods for vulnerable individuals.

As the international network of reuse, repairing and recycling social enterprises promoting the social and circular economies, the RREUSE network has a long tradition of contributing to the implementation of the principles of the Pillar.

12 civil society organisations call on the European Commission not to use the Product Environmental Footprint category rules (PEF-CR) for apparel and footwear “as the standalone method behind any future textile product labelling scheme, for substantiating green claims made in marketing, or in any other EU policy measures announced as part of the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles”.