What do we see?
Between 2010 and 2019, the amount of materials collected for reuse has increased to 88kt. Over the same period, the number of collected goods that were brought back into circulation has also increased, reaching 36kt in 2019. However, this rise is also related to a general increase in the consumption of consumer goods. Furthermore, the proportion of collected goods that were then sold again is going down, with only 41% sold in 2019 compared to 49% in 2010. According to the reuse centres, this could be attributed to a declining quality of the collected goods and a shortage in workforce to prepare the goods for reuse and sale. However, we should also take into account that these values tend to underestimate the true amount of reuse since people also resort to more informal reuse channels than De Kringwinkel.
What’s the aim?
In a circular economy, reuse is a crucial strategy: it extends the lifespan of products and materials, keeping them functional for as long as possible, and prevents products and materials from becoming waste before the end of their lifespan. We should therefore put this strategy into practice as much as possible. However, challenges still exist such as the quality of the collected goods and the shortage of workforce. Moreover, the benefits of reuse should also take into account whether the second-hand products avoid the consumption of primary materials and products.
What does this indicator measure?
This indicator shows the amount of CSG collected and sold in Flanders, expressed in kilotonnes. The data for the indicator was provided by OVAM.
