Led by RREUSE with a consortium of national networks and individual social enterprises across Europe, the project highlights the potential of business-to-business (B2B) partnerships to extend product life spans through the reuse and repair of second-hand items while creating inclusive local employment opportunities for individuals distanced from the labour market.
The report highlights the importance of developing mutually beneficial B2B partnerships that align values and leverage the complementary strengths of social enterprises and private sector actors. These partnerships create scalable projects that can be replicated across various contexts and product streams, yielding positive social, economic, and environmental impacts.
Furthermore, the report provides quantified data and insights into the socio-economic and environmental impacts these collaborations generate, and offers recommendations for stakeholders to foster a supportive environment for social enterprises and private sector partnerships to thrive. The report also identifies key success factors, alongside challenges and opportunities for mainstreaming B2B partnerships.
Moreover, the project has developed a series of recommendations for scaling up B2B partnerships, including policy measures such as mandatory targets for reuse activities separate from recycling, inclusive employment quotas and targets, and increasing the visibility and profile of social economy actors within the private sector, among others in the report. Supported by 18 case studies, the report illustrates best practices for B2B collaborations across the EU, exemplifying successful models that can be replicated across industries and product streams.
