The planned closure of the Snuffelmug thrift store in Haarlem, along with Spaarne Werkt’s textile sorting centre in Cruquius and logistics centre in the Waarderpolder, is putting local circular businesses at risk. The municipality says the measures are needed to reduce financial deficits at Spaarne Werkt. Entrepreneurs Ezra Koldenhof of Circlefied and Bart Hogers of Haarlems Hout depend on materials supplied through the facilities; Koldenhof said four orders had been suspended, while Hogers said about 85 percent of his current material flow could disappear if his supply of table tops stopped.

The municipality says textile collection through city containers will continue and that it is seeking a new party to sort and process the materials. It is also examining how other circular partnerships can continue. The entrepreneurs and a former provincial circular-economy expert stressed the importance of preserving the local reuse network and the knowledge built around it.