RSL recycles. Circular home furnishings and appliances for OCMW homes

Reduced waste of furniture and white goods through improved cooperation

The OCMW - the Public Centre for Social Welfare - in Roeselare has 141 homes for asylum seekers. Partial refurbishment (of furniture and white goods) takes place on average every six months. A great deal of materials are actually lost in this process because:

• due to an inflexible logistical working partnership, products are too quickly declared unfit for further use;
• products are purchased that are difficult to repair and have a short lifespan;
• residents are not familiar with the type of housing and materials and consequently use them incorrectly.

With this project, we want to test how this can be done differently, better, in a more circular way. Through a unique multi-level local partnership (with the OCMW, traders, social economy, etc.), we will test the feasibility of furnishing the OCMW houses with furniture and white goods in a circular way (with, among others, as-a-service models). We also want to extend the suitability assessment of materials within the OCMW property through more repairs and structural maintenance. As a result, a large proportion of the materials that now too quickly end up on the rubbish heap will have a longer life. At the same time, we are examining how we can improve the competences of the residents so that the materials and appliances last longer.