A grassroots movement to offer second chances to people and products

Insieme Cooperativa Sociale is a social cooperative active in Vicenza, Italy. Originating in the 1970s amid the economic boom in Northeast Italy, this cooperative emerged in response to the growing challenges of consumerism, waste, and social inequality.

Insieme engages in a range of activities including household and bulky waste clearings, textile collection and industrial clearings. At one of the waste collection centres, the public waste management company, Valore Ambiente, has implemented an innovative remuneration system. Under this model, households in Vicenza pay a waste collection and treatment fee to the municipality which is then transferred to Valore Ambiente. The company then allocates part of these funds to finance Insieme’s waste management activities in the collection centre, based on the volume of waste collected and the proportion successfully recovered. 

In 2021, an additional variable preparation for reuse fee (PfR fee) was introduced to specifically rewards the separate collection of items intended for preparation for reuse. As a result, the number of items prepared for reuse rose by over 40% within a year, equivalent to 60 additional tonnes of products. This initiative greatly facilitated separate collection for reuse for citizens looking to donate, who are then encouraged to shop in Insieme’s second-hand shops. It has also generated more employment opportunities for individuals at risk of socio-economic exclusion. 

Over the past 40 years, more than 1,000 people facing barriers in the labour market have found a welcoming and educational environment in the reuse centres of Insieme.

Today, Insieme works with different groups of people, including those with lived experience of substance use, involvement with the criminal justice system, and mental health services, and provides them with insertion opportunities through environmental activities and waste collection. They transform waste into resources at different sites, including two plants authorised for the preparation for reuse, three retail and one wholesale second-hand shops, e-commerce sales and 10 waste collection centres in the provinces. 

Read more about Insieme Cooperativa Sociale and their work in our report on Social Enterprises’ Role in Furniture and Mattress Circularity.