Appeal for the anniversary

You can’t live on bulky waste and handouts

220,000 second-hand items leave the Ho&Ruck flea market in Innsbruck every year. The pioneering business is celebrating its 40th anniversary these days. The celebration is accompanied by an urgent appeal to politicians and the public.

Numerous well-wishers from the world of politics were present when the anniversary celebrations kicked off on Friday amidst retro furniture and cuckoo clocks, crystal chandeliers and coffee mugs with nostalgic floral decorations. 40 years of Ho&Ruck - a success story. A company that has dedicated itself for four decades to the much-vaunted circular economy and offers jobs to people who would otherwise have few opportunities on the labor market.

1400 transit employees

... have been employed by Ho&Ruck in 40 years. Jobs for those who find the job market difficult. According to the umbrella organization, socio-economic companies such as Ho&Ruck provide temporary jobs to a total of 25,000 people throughout Austria every year.

The majority of the costs are self-generated
Most recently, 1.12 million euros in funding was provided by the AMS (76%), the state (16%) and the city (7%). A considerable sum, which - as Ho&Ruck calculates - the public sector saves for the most part in other areas, such as social welfare or the cost of disposing of so many discarded everyday objects that would otherwise end up in bulky waste. 1.7 million euros was generated by Ho&Ruck employees in the previous year alone thanks to the second-hand trend. They can cover the majority of their total costs themselves. Actually a good deal for all sides.

Socio-economic businesses under pressure
Ho&Ruck managing directors Martina Wolf-Kuntner and Thomas Holzer see this model under threat and draw attention to the growing pressure on socio-economic businesses. Recently, Ho&Ruck was not the only company to face massive cuts. Funding for the social mission is increasingly being called into question, according to the anniversary findings. Affected companies see themselves forced into the role of charity recipients. Wolf-Kuntner and Holzer are calling for new funding models that recognize the social and ecological service provided by second-hand businesses.

900 tons of bulky waste

... is prevented by Ho&Ruck every year because good items are refurbished and resold. However, more and more broken and dirty items are being handed in, which are expensive to dispose of.

"Only bring goods that can be sold"
700 meters of shelves full of unusual, rare, curious, nostalgic and often very practical products can be found at Ho&Ruck in Haller Straße. Countless Tyroleans have already found good items here - and handed them in. But more and more often, goods that are no longer usable are being left on the doorstep. Real bulky waste! "Some people think we can use everything," the managers state. Some people probably want to save themselves the trouble of separating waste and disposing of it, sometimes for a fee. "Things that we can't sell are not a help to us, but a great burden," Martina Wolf-Kuntner and Thomas Holzer appeal to the public to only hand in good items. After all, the cost of disposing of bulky waste is enormous. 

A big anniversary celebration for everyone will take place on Saturday (April 20) from 6 p.m. in the flea market hall at Haller Straße 43 in Innsbruck.