Good practice:

“Change the ending!” – network of Reuse Centres

“Change the ending! – network of Reuse Centres” connects and promotes those NGOs that, through the recovery of goods no longer used by citizens, operate locally, generating benefits both for their members, both for the whole community. “Change the ending!” contributes, in fact, to enhance and support the disadvantaged staff that NGOs employ to carry out the activity, through specific agreements with City Councils, Health Services, the Judicial Authority and the listening/assistance centres for the social integration of people in difficulty.
In addition to supporting the creation of shared value on the territory, the project is in line with the environmental objective to put in the first place the containment of the production of waste and its reuse, moving from the model “produce-use-throw away” in a new circular system, such as recycling and reuse, in which waste is converted into resources.
By calling the Heraìs Customer Service 800.999.500 (free number from fixed and mobile network, active from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 10 pm and on Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm) you can make an appointment for the free pick-up at home of bulky. The operators of the Customer Service make sure to ask you information about the state of the bulky goods you want to get rid of. If the items are still in good condition, you will be contacted by the non-profit organizations of your territory that participate in “Change the ending!” to pick them up and then start them on reuse.

The costs are mainly limited to the organization of the network, to some training of the staff of non-profit organizations and the custumer service, to the promotion of the project (dedicated web page, ad hoc communication initiatives): a few thousand euros could be enough.

Change the Ending! is an ongoing success
At the end of 2020
-18 participating non-profit organisations throughout the Emilia-Romagna region served by Hera, ensuring the coverage of all its main cities
-organisations received over 8,990 phone calls from residents willing to donate bulky goods and performed over 5,100 collections, for a total of over 192,000 items and about 697 t collected (72% dispatched to be reused)
More than 3,600 t of waste have been avoided since the start of the project

It is a good practice easily transferable to other regions if there are Reuse Centres already operating and if the organization that has the responsibility for waste management operates in a supra-municipal area with an active customer service.
The interesting aspect to be taken as an example for other regions is the social theme in addition to the environmental one of the reduction of waste production: the Reuse Centres are managed by volunteers or non-profit organizations that involve fragile subjects in the activity.