Re-use Centres are usually managed by SMEs, often social enterprises, that receive, prepare for re-use and distribute goods extending their product lifetimes with important social and environmental impacts, promoting a circular economy vision. They are a powerful vehicle to promote qualitative growth, help develop human capital and strengthen social cohesion. To fulfil this mission re-use centres need to have an economically sustainable business model, an issue that will be at the centre of the project. SUBTRACT will concentrate on the post start-up and scaling-up phases to render re-use centres effective and durable, i.e. to have a steady flow of incoming and outgoing goods well prepared for re-use, a professional management, a suitable financial strategy and an attractive image for the users. The project will research knowledge, exchange experiences, develop guidelines on how to develop the full potentials of re-use centres and render them competitive and will provide guidance to the ERDF managing authorities and other policy makers on how to assess and govern re-use centres in their territory. It will strengthen them in their capacity to enact efficient policies of sustaining re-use centres in becoming self-sustaining, evaluating their management, their investment and innovation readiness, measuring their impact. The elaboration of business principles and models will help actors along the reuse chain (regional and local governments, waste management authorities, NGOs, social enterprises) to collaborate effectively and strengthen networks. Measures will be identified and rendered operational that enforce waste prevention and preparation for re-use activities and favour citizens’ contributions. Efficient awareness strategies, campaign models and other suitable measures will be developed and tested to stimulate the supply and demand of reusable goods and render them attractive and desirable.
