Re-Use Berlin is an initiative of the Berlin Senate Department for the Environment. It began with collection campaigns at weekly markets and pop-up stores, evolving in 2020 with the launch of the “Re-Use Superstore” – a campaign format designed as a department store for second-hand goods, initially within an established Berlin department store, which was closed in 2023. The main objective is to raise awareness for sustainable consumption by promoting reuse as a genuine alternative to buying new, through modules that test and implement new concepts for donating and purchasing second-hand goods.
Key results include establishing a visible physical presence through their collaborations, implementing ideas from public competitions, creating city-wide infrastructure, and building a network of Re-Use actors.
The initiative has no fixed home and goes on tour through shopping centers and trade fairs, including the Bazaar and Grüne Woche – since 2025 with 38 contributors and again in 2026, with 2027 in preparation. It promotes its actors through a partner map, social media, and presentations, offering a stage for networking and sales. It actively promotes its CO2 calculator, which makes the environmental benefit of buying used instead of new visible for retailers and customers, and invites networking meetings to bring the community together. Expert dialogues continue, and a participatory program for school students is being developed.
