Creating links through waste

There’s a place in Les Marolles that looks like a second-hand shop, but where everything is free. Yes, even the coffee. At Troc & Brol, everything’s priceless. As Antoine, who runs the place, repeats, “Everything here is free, nothing is for nothing: the value is in understanding that”. Understanding what exactly? That waste has a value and that it can be a means of bringing people together. After all, here you can not only take home a handicraft, but also – more importantly – chat over a coffee or read a book in the warmth. Antoine set up Troc & Brol in November 2023 with the support of the City of Brussels’ waste management department. Because Les Marolles and its market, in particular, generate a lot of waste, this district was the perfect place to open a centre to raise awareness of the true value of waste, once we begin to look at it in a different way. It didn’t take long for it to acquire its neighbourhood regulars. In fact, there were quite a few of them queuing outside the door today, waiting for it to open. Someone even took the liberty of knocking to remind the staff that it was time to let them in now. They are all greeted by Mohammed’s bright smile. Antoine, for his part, with his seemingly infinite patience, is tireless in his efforts to sow seeds of understanding about the real value of what we throw away. Neighbours now come every day to bring what they find on their way, and Antoine is almost a victim of his own success, because sorting takes energy and space. Even so, they manage to redistribute half the items collected directly back into the neighbourhood, free of charge. On my way here, I saw a brand-new-looking baby car seat leaning against a rubbish bin at Jeu de Balle. I thought it was a shame to leave it there, in perfect condition. But as I turn down an aisle, I notice that it was already on one of the shelves. The educational approach, based on human kindness, seems to be bearing fruit.