It’s not common among waste departments to spend more time thinking about saving, rather than throwing things away.
However, in Hamburg, Germany, the situation appears to be different. There’s actually profit that’s being made from the second-hand market.
Repurposing Goods from Landfills Is Already a Thing in Germany
Stillbruch or the IKEA of second-hand goods collects everyday throwaways from people or from waste collectors. The goods are cleaned, fixed, and resold. This effort is said to support a circular economy.
The company notes that approximately 400,000 objects are processed yearly in two enormous cavernous warehouses. There’s everything: from teddy bears and kitchen counters to refurbished laptops.
Stillbruch was launched back in 2001 as a Sanitation Department option, but it has since grown from having one employee to the current 70 employees.
They’ve also transferred from being a non-profit to a profit-making company with estimates showing that their profits are between $330,000 and $550,000 yearly.
According to Roman Hottgenroth, COO at Stillbruch, the things they collect and later repurpose are very useful, rather than being an actual waste.
They’re doing their best to put an end to throwaway culture and waste-making habits. The company works with craftsmen and technicians who make sure everything is well refurbished and also the electronics that are sold with a one-year warranty.
Global Efforts to Decrease Waste Streams
This warehouse company is part of a European network that’s trying to minimize the waste streams, with a focus on electronics and home furnishings. The crucial effort is to restore the right to repair among consumers.
Both European and German legislatures praise Stillbruch and emphasize it’s a pioneering model that many other municipalities can replicate.
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