The partnership between Traperos de Emaús Navarra and the BSH Group, an international appliance manufacturer, was established as a direct result of an EU Directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), which was implemented in Spain in 2015. The introduction of preparing for reuse targets for WEEE made it necessary for producers to cooperate with social enterprises active in the reuse sector in order to fulfil them. Consequently, BSH Group contacted AERESS (Spanish Association of Social and Solidarity Economy Recovery Enterprises) in search of social enterprise partners. AERESS facilitated a partnership with its member, Traperos de Emaús Navarra, thanks to which the social enterprise gained access to a new stream of WEEE for reuse and repair. This partnership has since then expanded to other AERESS members.
When BSH delivers new appliances to its customers, it retrieves the old items and sends them to their distribution platforms, from which the social enterprises they partner with, including Traperos de Emaús Navarra, can collect them. The partnership enables social enterprises to create inclusive jobs in preparation for reuse, and to professionalise their activities. Moreover, collaboration with an international company provides visibility to the social enterprise.
The partnership has enabled the social enterprise to professionalise their operations, specifically improving traceability: they can now track each appliance from start to finish using barcode labels. Although reuse preparation demands more funding than is currently available, BSH provides a portion of the necessary resources and increases the income of the social enterprise through appliance sales. Notably, BSH has also encouraged Traperos de Emaús Navarra to increase the percentage of reused devices to comply with their CSR policies, emphasising that the more appliances they repair, the better.
“The agreement is perfectly replicable, not only with electrical appliances but also with other products that become waste, such as textiles or furniture. For this to happen, it’s crucial for all producers to realise that this work requires funding. These agreements cannot be expected to operate without financial investment”
— Traperos de Emaus Navarra representative
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