RREUSE

We welcome the European Commission's recognition of the circular economy as a driver of resilience and competitiveness in the EU. However, we are deeply concerned by the lack of ambition to promote waste prevention and reuse. The CEA call for evidence reveals a narrow vision of circularity, limited mainly to recycling and waste management.

Social enterprises in the circular economy contribute significantly to local job creation, resource efficiency, and climate goals, yet remain largely excluded from public procurement opportunities under the current EU framework.

Social enterprises active in reuse, repair, and recycling are key partners for contracting authorities as they contribute to local and socially inclusive green employment through their circular economy waste management activities. Reusing can carry a high job creation potential, higher than recycling, and significantly lowers the environmental impact of items.

RREUSE calls for a Critical Raw Materials Regulation that is based on circular principles and promotes both sufficiency and resource efficiency. This can be achieved by adopting the following circular strategies, in order of importance: - Rethink and reduce: lower the demand for CRMs by promoting systemic change; - Circular design, repair, and re-use: extend the life of products to keep CRMs in use for longer; -…

PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT TO ACCESS THE COMPLETE FEEDBACK RREUSE supports the proposed revision of the Waste Framework Directive, recognizing its significance in acknowledging the pivotal role of social enterprises in promoting textile re-use.

Even though updated not so long ago, the revision of the Waste Framework Directive is highly welcome as the strategy devised in the new Circular Economy Action Plan requires a shift to a better implementation of the waste hierarchy. Indeed, the current waste prevention and preparing for re-use provisions are not concrete enough to lead Member States towards an absolute decrease in waste generation.

RREUSE welcomes the revision of the Ecodesign Directive through the Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI) as a major opportunity to enhance product sustainability and to pave the way for a transition towards sustainability within European markets. We strongly defend the need to take eco-design seriously across all products placed on the European market.

RREUSE welcomes the release of the “Sustainable Products Initiative” inception impact assessment. Ensuring durability, reusability and repairability is essential to improve the quality of products placed on the EU market and, in the long run, of second-hand products.

RREUSE takes the opportunity of the Commissions Call for Feedback on the 8th Omnibus Package to reiterate its firm opposition to the Commissions proposal. Our feedback focuses on the revision of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements. First, the absence of a thorough impact assessment is worrying.

As representatives of social enterprises active in re-use, repair and recycling, as well as Work Integration Social Enterprises specialised in the inclusion of disadvantaged groups on the EU job market, RREUSE and ENSIE welcome the Commission’s proposal to revise EU rules on waste shipments.

RREUSE is an international network representing social enterprises active in re-use, repair and recycling. RREUSE members currently divert around 1 million tonnes of goods and materials on an annual basis from landfill through re-use, repair and recycling.

RREUSE welcomes the release of the inception impact assessment “Empowering the consumer for the green transition”. Tackling greenwashing and premature obsolescence is essential to improve the quality of products placed on the EU market and, in the long run, of second-hand products.

While current Quality Jobs Act discussions address critical aspects of improving job quality, the proposed measures overlook support to quality job providers for underrepresented groups. For example, the proposed just transition measures place no emphasis on reinforcing already-existing good practices within green sectors.

Reuse, repair, and recycling social enterprises of the RREUSE wider network are unique training providers that leverage their circular operations as vehicles for training and job opportunities, especially for labour market underrepresented groups.

RREUSE, the European network of social enterprises active in repair, re-use and recycling, welcomes the intention to review the Textiles Labelling Regulation as an opportunity to ease textile waste management and extend textile products lifetime. Improving rules on fibre composition determination and providing more reliable information to sorters will facilitate the sorting process.

As the EUs largest network of reuse, repair, and recycling social enterprises, RREUSE welcomes the proposed Quality Jobs Roadmap. The initiative is essential to ensuring competitiveness puts people first, supporting the meaningful employment offered by mission-driven actors such as social economy entities.

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

The European Social Fund+ is a key funding instrument for re-use and repair social enterprises in Europe. On the ground, it supports the RREUSE networks social enterprises in their missions of combating poverty and promoting social inclusion, employment and skills development in the circular economy. Thanks to ESF+, social enterprises like R.U.S.Z.

As the only EU programme dedicated to environmental and climate actions, RREUSE believes the LIFE Programme should further reinforce the EU objectives of a socially fair and just green transition. The RREUSE network of social enterprises active in re-use, repair, and recycling activities are an example of actors advancing an inclusive and climate-resilient circular economy.

Dear members of the European Commission, RREUSE, the network of European social economy enterprises active in re-use, repair and recycling, welcomes your commitment to take action towards an improvement of the sustainability requirements linked to batteries placed on the European market.

The European Social Fund has been an invaluable tool to guarantee social economy enterprises work for inclusive jobs and training in the circular economy. RREUSE members who were ESF beneficiaries for the 2014-2020 period (e.g.