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CHANGEWORKS' groundbreaking charity shop initiative 'Generous City' was recently extended to cover the whole of the country, now becoming Generous Scotland. Programme Co-ordinator Jess Gildener explains why a vibrant charity shop sector is a good thing for all of us, (INCREASE funding £160,309).
According to Changeworks' latest figures, Scotland's charity shops raise at least £9 million a year for a variety of good causes. |
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They process around 45,000 tonnes of donations and recycle at least 14,000 tonnes of textiles through rag merchants. In addition, Scotland’s 600+ charity shops develop and support over 11,000 volunteers in our communities, making the sector not only a success on the high street, but also a good example of sustainable development in action.
"Charity shops provide all of us with one of the best opportunities to reduce, re-use and recycle," says Jess. "By buying second-hand, we reduce the need for new products. By donating we stimulate re-use and we recycle items that would otherwise end up in landfill."
By working together with charities, local authorities, SEPA and SWAG, Changeworks will help charities across the country to attract more quality donations and prevent waste from unsuitable donations going to landfill. Initiatives that worked in Edinburgh, and may now provide inspiration for projects in other areas, include the Edinburgh Charity Map (a huge hit with tourists last summer), the Community Service Book Recycling Scheme and a Waste Aware Scotland training session for charity shop staff and volunteers. The Generous Scotland team is currently producing a comprehensive resource to help a range of stakeholders implement waste prevention activities through charity shops.
If you are interested in finding out how Changeworks can help you to promote re-use through charity shops, a key action in the Scottish Waste Prevention Action Plan, click here, or contact Jess Gildener at Changeworks on 0131 538 7943 or jgildener@changeworks.org.uk |
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Fyne Futures (INCREASE funding £125,260), a subsidiary of local housing association, Fyne Homes, provides a kerbside collection service for more than 2,000 households in addition to operating 32 ‘bring sites' throughout Bute and Cowal, off the west coast of Scotland. Fyne Futures also offers a furniture re-use service through 'Revive Rothesay', which collects donated furniture, provides storage and delivers to new homes through its shop in Deanhood Place, next to Fyne Homes' headquarters.
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The main base is at the Bute Recycling Centre in Rothesay. It is primarily involved in the recycling of plastic bottles, paper and cardboard, aluminium cans, tetra pak, clothing and furniture re-use. Development of the centre has seen an increase from one tonne (per annum) of recyclable material diverted from landfill three years ago, to almost 320 tonnes for the year March 06 to April 07.
Centre manager, Tony Edwards, said: " Our high collection rates and the solutions our staff have developed to deal with the difficult issue of kerbside recycling in the vast rural area of Bute and Cowal, means that we are often used as an example of best practice for other community recycling operations. The staff are engaged in much more than recycling. By developing waste management solutions locally, they provide valuable social inclusion opportunities, enhancing the local economy and making a real difference to the long-term sustainability of their community."
Within three months of the arrival of the INCREASE-funded kerbside vehicles, the overall collection rate of plastic bottles increased to 90 tonnes, higher than any other previous quarter. However, according to Tony, " the collection, sorting and processing of plastic bottles flies in the face of weight based land-fill diversion targets.” Last year, Fyne Futures collected 30 tonnes of plastic bottles; in the first quarter of the INCREASE project period, 10 tonnes of plastic bottles were collected. With present growth rates, it is estimated that in excess of 40 tonnes is to be collected by Fyne Futures by the end of the first year".
These figures may seem commendable but it creates a capacity problem for the vehicles and reduces the ability to collect other heavier materials. It takes, on average, 15,000 bottles or 72 euro bins (1,280 litres), to make one tonne of plastic, equivalent to filling four Fyne Future vehicles full of plastic only.
According to Tony, " when it comes to recycling, the public perception is that waste plastic is of far greater importance than any other material. Yet funds are awarded according to tonnes diverted and never the twain shall meet."
Click here to find out more about Bute Recycling Centre. |
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Recycling and waste minimisation are at the heart of the Shetland Museum and Archives, which was officially opened on the 31st of May by Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway and their Royal Highnesses Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla, (INCREASE funding £30,000).
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The Shetland Amenity Trust, who managed the design and construction project - and now the facility, are committed to sustainable design. Many recycled and salvaged materials have been incorporated into various aspects of the project including the building itself, the exhibition areas and the overall regeneration of the site at Hays Dock. This commitment is evident throughout the project, from the ships timbers dredged from Hay's Dock being refashioned into a unique reception desk and shop fittings, to the stonework in some of the displays coming from archaeological excavations at Old Scatness.
One of the particularly innovative products used were recycled glass pavers that are produced by the Trust’s Enviroglass project, partly funded by INCREASE II. Here a patented process is used to recycle glass bottles into a hardwearing, attractive surface. Some of the pavers, which appear both inside and outside of the building, have also been inlaid with crushed serpentine which a local artist has used to depict local boat part and place names.
The careful consideration given to its sustainable design has already led to the Museum and Archives being named as one of five best practice examples of high quality and sustainable architecture by the Scottish Executive.
Jimmy Moncrieff, General Manager at the Shetland Amenity Trust said: "Shetland Amenity Trust is committed to conserving the environment and celebrating heritage. The Shetland Museum and Archives project is the living embodiment of our rich cultural and natural heritage and is an invaluable resource for the public, now and into the future. By using recycled materials throughout the building and in various aspects of the project, we are demonstrating our commitment to the environment in a tangible way."
Click here to find out more about Enviroglass and Shetland Amenity Trust.
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The GREAN recycling project (INCREASE funding £29,778), based in Golspie in the north east of Scotland, was set up in 2001. Since then, it has grown into a fully-fledged social enterprise providing a number of recycling services throughout the Sutherland region. GREAN's core activity is the operation of a kerbside collection service for recyclates under a service level agreement with The Highland Council covering southeast and central Sutherland.
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GREAN offer a service to 3,000 out of a possible 4,000 households in our area, 90% of which take part, with 75% presenting a kerbside box to GREAN at least once every three weeks. Materials collected include all paper, card, cans (food and drinks), plastic bottles, textiles, glass bottles and jars, bicycles and lawnmowers. A bring site is also operated for these materials in addition to a garden waste composting site. Other activities comprise:
- manufacture of flaked paper animal bedding;
- a confidential document shredding service;
- educational talks, visits and presentations;
- New Deal training;
- compost bin distribution;
- a community garden; and
- a bicycle recycling project (on hold).
GREAN employ 13 full time, two part time and one (soon to be two) trainee members of staff.
The INCREASE II programme enabled GREAN to purchase capital items that allowed them to maintain and increase their service provision. In particular, the handling operations in the Golspie depot were transformed by the installation of a cardboard/plastic baler and a metal baler. This, together with a forklift and stillages, have resulted in improved productivity and increased capacity. In turn, these improvements have contributed significantly to GREAN's achievement in hitting, and indeed exceeding, their tonnage targets.
The benefits of enhanced capitalisation are still being felt, allowing flexible working systems to be developed in response to changing circumstances, and permitting many different recyclates to be handled. GREAN can therefore offer kerbside collection of a wider range of materials than any other similar service in the Highlands, ensuring that public perception of the community recycling in the area is very favourable.
GREAN's collection service has also benefited, with INCREASE II funding for vehicles and trailers, again improving productivity, and enabling a far more efficient use of resources. As a result we have started are actively considering expanding our core collection service to households in more rural areas.
Click here for further information on GREAN. |
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Feedback... e-mail, info@increase-programme.org.uk or telephone the Helpline, 0870 190 5278.
Visit the website:
www.increase-programme.org.uk/
Disclaimer: This e-bulletin makes every effort to provide correct information at the time of distribution, but does not itself constitute a definitive guide to any issues mentioned in it.
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