B-Wa(h)renhaus
B-Wa(h)renhaus is a secondhand shop and community engagement space in Berlin, Germany. Located in the Karstadt department store, B-Wa(h)renhaus is the first re-use store of its kind to be opened and run by Berlin's local city government, the Senate of Berlin.[1] The shop was opened by the State Secretary for Environment and Climate Protection, Stefan Tidow, on September 9th, 2020, and plans to remain open for 6 months.[2] The city stated in a public statement that the creation of B-Wa(h)renhaus was intended “to anchor the re-use of used goods in urban society and to establish it permanently.”[1]
Background
The opening of B-Wa(h)renhaus was the first of four or five city-operated re-use stores intended to be opened as part of the Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection’s Re-Use Initiative.[2] This initiative is also part of the city’s longer term goal of establishing at least one re-use store in every one of Berlin’s twelve boroughs, as outlined in Berlin’s 2020-2030 waste master plan.[3]
Location
The B-Wa(h)renhaus secondhand store is around 7,000 square feet[3] and is located on the third floor of the popular Karstadt department store in Berlin’s Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg neighborhood. The city pays for B-Wa(h)renhaus’ rent, which is €4,600 (US$5,387) per month.[1]
Secondhand store
The secondhand store consists of various stands run entirely by partnerships with private merchants selected by the Senate Department for the Environment, Transport, and Climate Protection. Partners of B-Wa(h)renhaus include Zweimalschön Charity Shop Berlin, rack'n white charity club, NochMall, ReUse Shop Köpenick, BRAL, UpCycle.Berlin, BSR, Berliner Stadtmission, and the Cellomat/Interseroh consortium, among others.[2] B-Wa(h)renhaus sells previously owned clothing, furniture, upcycled goods, household items, and refurbished electronics. Items for sale are sourced from Berlin’s own municipal recycling plants, as well as via donations.[3] In an article in Cities Today, City of Berlin spokesperson Dorothee Winden explained that, “As the different stands are run by partner organisations, there are no costs for staff on our side. The partner organisations who are selling well-preserved used goods are contributing to the costs depending on their financial circumstances.”[1]
Education and community engagement
In addition to selling previously owned goods, B-Wa(h)renhaus also utilizes the shared open rooftop space on the fourth floor directly above the secondhand goods storefront to host a variety of environmentally-related public functions. Here, any member of the community can attend regularly scheduled sustainability workshops that focus on topics such as food waste reduction and textile reusability. Additionally, B-Wa(h)renhaus also offers “Repair Cafés,” which are held on a bi-monthly basis, during which anyone can bring in their own household items and receive advice and instructional help in fixing or refurbishing them.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Berlin promotes circular economy with city-managed secondhand store". Cities Today - Connecting the world's urban leaders. 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Erster Re-Use Store in Berliner Kaufhaus eröffnet". www.berlin.de (in Deutsch). 2020-09-11. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Berlin Now Has a City-Run Recycling Department Store". Bloomberg.com. 2020-09-17. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
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