New Vocational Ways and Qualifications for Professionalisation in the Second-Hand Sector

For a number of years, the trade with used goods and recycling has been in the public spotlight. This development is due to different ecological, economic and social reasons. However, presently the Second-Hand market is hardly perceived as a sector of its own. The Leonardo-Project »QualiProSecondHand« pursues the aim to contribute to a professionalisation of the Second-Hand Sector by identifying possible approaches for new occupational paths and qualifications. The present report is a major part of the project and characterizes the »Second-Hand market« in Europe based on national sector analyses from seven member states of the European Union: The United Kingdom, Finland, Austria, Belgium, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Germany.