Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper): Kringwinkel Ateljee launched a rental service for household appliances, charging 15-25 euros monthly. Aimed at students and families, it promotes sustainability by encouraging reuse and reducing waste.
Kringwinkel Ateljee is introducing a new rental service for household appliances to help support sustainability. Geert Deruck, a representative from the organization, says this initiative encourages reuse instead of buying new items. Customers can rent essential appliances like washing machines and refrigerators for monthly fees between 15 and 25 euros, making it affordable for many. This service aims to reduce waste and help extend the life of appliances, promoting a more circular economy.
How is Kringwinkel Ateljee’s rental service promoting sustainability in Ghent?
This project is mainly for students, young families, and people living in temporary homes. They pay a one-time fee of 75 euros and a deposit for a three-month rental. This includes delivery, installation, and maintenance. Renters receive new long-lasting machines. After the rental period, the machines return to the thrift store, where they are repaired and sold again. The thrift store has also started a permanent repair service for electrical items.
The thrift store has started a project in collaboration with the Dutch organization Homie. Deruyck says, “In the Netherlands, the mindset for renting devices is different from ours. People there understand the benefits better.” Currently, the thrift store can rent out 20 devices, but if this initiative is successful, they can quickly expand. This is the first thrift store testing the rental system, and if everything goes well, it could be rolled out to other locations.
