From Selby to Sustainable Futures: Our Transformative Trip to the Netherlands & Belgium
Hello Selby!
You know our mission at Our Zero Selby – to make our community a more sustainable place, to encourage residents to take action against climate change, and to embed community-led projects and work in all we do. We’ve recently been doing lots of work around one of our five themes on What We Buy and Waste, tackling the challenge of textile waste and giving new life to pre-loved items, our Re-Imagine day Upcycling for fun and function, our Repair cafes in Brayton, Tadcaster and Barlby, and our sustainable textile Zero hero event. What you might not know is how a chance encounter at a market stall in November 2024 led us on an incredible journey that's now shaping the future of our project!
An Unexpected Connection: The "Waste Guy" from the Netherlands
It all started when we were running our stall at the Selby market, sharing our passion for recycling and waste reduction. Eric, a visitor to Selby to see our beautiful Abbey, stopped by. A self-proclaimed "waste guy" from the Netherlands, Eric runs a company called Agricon Nederland, where he specialises in helping businesses and organisations implement circular economy principles, particularly in waste management and material reuse. He was fascinated by what we were doing. What began as a friendly chat quickly blossomed into a remarkable connection.
Eric saw the potential in our local efforts and, with incredible generosity, extended an invitation that would change everything. He invited my colleague Matt and I to the Netherlands and Belgium to witness first-hand how they're pioneering circular economy solutions, particularly in textile waste and second-hand retail.
His hospitality was truly extraordinary. Eric meticulously organised every detail of our trip, from securing meetings with key organisations and businesses to covering all our ferry, accommodation, and meal expenses. He even met us off the ferry, drove us tirelessly around both countries, and ensured we were safely back at the terminal. We are profoundly grateful for his support, guidance, and immense generosity – this trip simply wouldn't have been possible without him.
A Glimpse into the Future: What We Learned
Our two-day whirlwind tour was an eye-opener, revealing a sophisticated and integrated approach to textile reuse and recycling that frankly, made us realise the UK is at least 30 years behind our European neighbours in this area. Here's a snapshot of what we discovered:
Het Goed (Gorinchem): Reinventing Charity Retail We visited a charity shop that felt more like a modern department store! Het Goed showed us how efficient sorting, clever pricing, and attractive displays can transform the second-hand shopping experience, making it appealing to everyone and significantly reducing waste.
Frankenhuis (Haaksbergen): The Power of Mechanical Recycling Witnessing Frankenhuis mechanically recycle 600,000 kilograms of post-consumer textiles every month was mind-boggling. They turn old clothes into raw materials, demonstrating the immense potential for what we currently consider "waste."
Spinny Jenny (Tilburg): From Rags to High-End Yarns This was truly inspiring! Spinny Jenny takes recycled textiles and transforms them into high-quality yarns used in everything from car interiors to new clothing. It proved that sustainability doesn't mean compromising on quality.
Mid Zuid (Oosterhout): Social Impact at its Core Mid Zuid is a sheltered workshop where textile sorting isn't just about waste management; it's about empowering people. They provide training, employment, and even language lessons, showing how circular economy initiatives can create valuable social opportunities for people who receive benefits, people with disabilities and recent refugees.
Vindingrijk (Breda) & Opnieuw & Co (Antwerp): Comprehensive Systems Our visits to these organisations reinforced the widespread adoption of professional reuse models. Opnieuw & Co, in particular, highlighted the importance of meticulous data tracking and strong partnerships with waste authorities – a level of integration we aspire to in the UK.
Bringing It All Back to Selby: Our Shop for the Future
This trip has been nothing short of transformative for our "Selby Charity Shop Reuse and Recycling Partnership" project, Shop for the Future. We returned brimming with actionable insights and a renewed determination to:
Optimise our charity shop operations: Implementing more systematic sorting, attractive merchandising, and dynamic pricing strategies to increase sales and reduce waste.
Explore local recycling partnerships: Investigating opportunities to process non-resalable items right here in the UK.
Educate our community: Launching campaigns to help everyone understand "what to donate" and "how to donate" to ensure the highest quality of donations.
Develop upcycling and repair initiatives: Creating new value from textiles and potentially offering local training opportunities.
A Heartfelt Thank You
We want to express our deepest gratitude once again to Eric for his incredible vision, generosity, and hospitality. This journey of discovery would not have been possible without his unwavering support.
We also extend our sincere thanks to all the amazing people and businesses who welcomed us and shared their invaluable knowledge:
The team at Het Goed (Gorinchem)
The innovators at Frankenhuis
The visionaries at Spinny Jenny
The community builders at Mid Zuid (Oosterhout)
The friendly faces at Vindingrijk (Breda)
The comprehensive operators at Opnieuw & Co (Antwerp)
Your work is truly inspiring, and we are committed to bringing these lessons to life here in Selby.
Stay tuned for more updates as we implement these exciting new strategies and work towards a more sustainable future for our town!
We’ll be bringing you more insight into our trip over the coming months, with a deep dive into each of the organisations we visited, look out for more on our blogs, videos and social channels.