Het Goed: Why Logistics is the Secret to Circular Success

The Engine Under the Hood

While the front of Het Goed looks like a high-end department store, the back of the house looks like a tech startup. During our tour, we were given a rare look at the industrial logic that makes professional reuse possible.

1. Data-Driven Donations The team uses a bespoke software system where every item is barcoded. This allows them to manage inventory like a major retailer. They know exactly how long an item has been on the shelf, allowing them to rotate stock and keep customers coming back for "new" finds.

2. The Power of the Manual Training is everything. On the warehouse walls, simple but brilliant visual manuals explain exactly how to grade and price items. This standardisation means a shirt in Gorinchem is priced the same as a shirt in Breda, creating a brand that customers can trust.

3. Social Impact at Scale The warehouse is more than a sorting centre; it’s a place of employment. By hiring people who have been distanced from the job market and teaching them technical repair skills—like electrical testing, furniture restoration and sales skills—Het Goed is solving two problems at once: waste and unemployment.

4. No Bin Left Unturned Even the skips are part of the story. Watching Eric look through the rejected material was a reminder that the circular economy requires a 360-degree view. If it can’t be sold, can it be repaired? If it can’t be repaired, can the material be recovered?

For more information on our trip to the Netherlands, read our blog series or watch our v-log series and check out our social media. If you’d like to read our report on our trip you can view this here, and if you’d like to help us level up the support from the Government for change in the waste and recycling industry, please do pass our High-level report to your local MP and ask them to push the movement forward.

For more information on our Shop for the Future project, read our news article or take a look at our page here.