Recycling Service Centre Amsterdam and Milieuwerk

The Recycling Service Centre Amsterdam (RSC Amsterdam) is 1 of our 7 regional sorting centres. The sorting centre places great emphasis on involving people with poor job prospects. Besides, it’s perhaps the most inventive sorting centre in the Netherlands, with which we are keen to work with.

Sorting centre teams up with Milieuwerk as a sheltered employer

The RSC Amsterdam works with Stichting Milieuwerk to get as many people back into work as possible. Milieuwerk is a sheltered employment agency for businesses in the Amsterdam port area: people are employed by Milieuwerk and placed with companies. This way, Milieuwerk bridges the gap between people with poor job prospects and sustainable companies. Milieuwerk takes care of the supervision and anything to do with the authorities. The employer therefore only has to focus on creating a healthy workplace.

It's great that social work, sustainability and doing business in production go together so well. We achieve this partly through good cooperation with Weee Nederland.

Rik Pothuizen - Directeur Operations, RSC Amsterdam

There’s plenty of work. Connecting with the background of our people, that’s the trick. We’re convinced that there’s a fun and paid job out there for everyone with an occupational impairment who wants to work.”

David Jansen - David Jansen of Milieuwerk

Smart sorting of e-waste for a circular economy

Every day, RSC Amsterdam sorts the collected e-waste from municipalities in Amsterdam, Flevoland and the Gooi and Vecht region. The employees sort the collected e-waste according to processing category and remove harmful substances. For example, batteries are removed from devices, ink toners are removed and packaging materials such as cardboard and plastic are sorted. Through smart sorting, e-waste is optimally returned to the original raw materials during further processing.

RSC Amsterdam is a jack of all trades

At the sorting centre, residual batches and old stocks are destroyed, materials are unpacked, raw materials are separated from each other for reuse and textiles sorted. Companies from all over the Netherlands know where to find the RSC Amsterdam for answers to difficult waste issues, which are labour intensive. It’s a raw materials company that can turn its hand to anything.

Win-win situation with regional inclusive sorting centres

In 2014, together with various municipalities, we introduced a different way of collecting and sorting e-waste. We wanted to create more sheltered employment in the region and contribute to the circular transition as much as possible. Together we anchored sustainable and social values with the formation of regional inclusive sorting centres. And now some 200 enthusiastic and committed employees from 7 sorting centres work on e-waste recycling every day. At the same time, we reduce CO2 emissions with smart logistics and product and resource conservation. A win-win situation for municipalities, institutions and businesses.