Circular craft centers (CCCs) are multifaceted hubs that incorporate a thrift store for item exchange, actively collaborate with recycling centers, provide dedicated spaces for item repair, conduct educational activities promoting sustainability awareness, and offer (social) employment opportunities. With close to 100 such centers now in the Netherlands, they provide a rich resource from which to develop methodologies to assess and monitor their sustainability performance from an environmental and social perspective.
The first step in the research was to get to know the CCCs in the Netherlands; what they do, and who they work with. By tracking both physical and social flows, CCCs were shown to connect to many different parts of the circular economy, both in terms of goods (repair, reuse and recycle enterprises) and social (the local area, schools and community centers) exchanges. For instance, volunteers and people employed in the CCCs lived both locally and more distantly and ranged in age, stimulating social cohesion across the municipality.
The next step was to determine what data to collect on the waste handled. For instance, many CCCs make no attempt, or have no standardized way, to classify the different waste they receive. This data is critical to identifying the best assessment and monitoring indicators to employ. So, together with participating CCCs, a questionnaire is being developed to categorize the incoming waste. Once this is agreed and in place, data collection can begin and insight into the best indicators can be gained.
The anticipated findings aim to offer valuable insights into the dynamics of circular craft centers, guiding the development of practical tools for monitoring and evaluating their performance. Ultimately, this will facilitate more informed decision-making processes in the pursuit of sustainability, circularity, and inclusivity within waste management systems.
“Circular craft centers lack the human resources to sort the tons of waste they receive – there are no funds for employees, and volunteer numbers vary and are unpredictable. Some Centers can't even find the funds to start up.”
“Indicators of social impact are not as extensive as those for physical or scientific impacts, and are mostly qualitative, so it is difficult to put a value on it.”
With 62% of container waste currently exported, CCCs have the potential to reduce the phenomenon of “waste colonialism”, particularly if these Centers could be connected to circular businesses throughout Europe.