The Fundació Formació i Treball is experiencing a turning point coinciding with its 30th anniversary. The entity promoted by Càritas Diocesana of Barcelona is preparing to take a big leap in its line of textile recycling, driven by European regulatory changes that will force member states to selectively collect these materials before 2025.
The acquisition at the end of last year of a 30,000 m2 warehouse in Sabadell is part of this strategy to strengthen its position as the leading textile waste operator in Spain, with 1,748 containers located throughout the territory and 32 second-hand clothing sales points. in Catalonia. The entity is part of the cooperatives that bring together operators in the social economy sector both at the Catalan level – through Roba Amiga – and Spain – through Moda Re. “When it is at full capacity this summer, the Sabadell plant will create 250 jobs and will become one of the main textile treatment centers in the country due to its capacity (up to 20,000 tons of clothing per year) and the largest in the south of Europe managed by a social entity,” says Jordi Alberich, president of the Foundation.
The purpose of this advance is twofold: to promote the circularity of the textile industry (collection of clothing, its selection, classification for recycling and pressing or packaging) and the labor insertion of people in vulnerable situations. During its thirty years of existence, the entity based in Sant Adrià del Besòs has served 45,843 people through job placement projects, has trained 10,105 people and has promoted the hiring of 5,133 employees in the Fundació’s placement companies, while another 9,146 have been hired in the ordinary company.
“Users come for short periods because the objective is to promote their job placement,” explains Alberich. They come from social services, penitentiary institutions, NGOs… and the Foundation helps them train and find a job. “Marginality is reversible and for this people need economic autonomy and dignity, a decent job,” emphasizes the president of the entity, concerned about the discourse of “some economic and political elites” who consider a certain degree of poverty “inevitable.” “That is neither true nor fair,” he insists.
In addition to textile waste management, the Foundation also has a service line and a food line. In 2023, it obtained income of 34.3 million euros from the business it generates with its activity, which demonstrates – Alberich highlights – that the social economy is also productive. “We barely receive any subsidies and we are profitable,” he adds.