What do we see?
The turnover of reuse centres has continued to grow since 1995. This is generated mainly from the sale of household goods (a mix of different types of products including books, household, leisure, DIY and multimedia items), textiles and furniture.
We also see the same increasing trend in the employment rate (both with regard to volunteers and paid workers) in the recognised reuse centres in Flanders. However, this increase has slowed down in recent years because it is more difficult to find sufficient staff with the necessary skills.
What’s the aim?
Reuse of materials and waste products is an essential part of a circular economy. In addition to strict reuse (of a discarded product in good condition by another user for the same purpose), we also mean:
- repair (mending and maintenance of a broken product for the same use as before)
- refurbishment (reviving or modernising an old product)
- remanufacturing (using parts of a discarded product in a new product that has the same purpose)
The reuse sector has built up a great deal of experience and knowledge when it comes to the different kinds of reuse. Thanks to this, it plays an important role in the transition to a circular economic model.
What does this indicator measure?
This indicator measures the annual turnover and employment rate in the recognised reuse centres in Flanders. OVAM uses annually reported figures from the centres to estimate the scope of reuse in Flanders.
