Newport’s Tip Shop recorded the most items saved from landfill ever for the month of October, all while improving the wellbeing of its volunteers, according to social enterprise Wastesavers.

Across October, the secondhand goods shop recorded 9,683 individual items passing through, equating to 21.3 tonnes of household items – 25 per cent more than the same month last year – saved from going to skips at the Docks Way household waste recycling centre (HWRC), where the shop is based.

Since April this year, the Tip Shop has diverted 50,212 items weighing over 140 tonnes from landfill.

The Tip Shop not only has an environmental impact but also a social one, providing opportunities for vulnerable adults to gain confidence and for young people struggling in mainstream education to gain skills.

Philip Davis, Retail Manager at the Tip Shop, said: “We’ve seen an amazing growth rate in tonnages saved from going on the scrap heap, but it’s not just about the waste. It’s just as much about the work of the volunteers.

“This shop has an amazing impact on people’s wellbeing [that] we did not expect. I’m always impressed by how our volunteers transform when they’ve been here a while. For many it helps build their self-esteem and makes them feel like they have something to contribute; for others it’s an opportunity to take those first steps back into the rhythm of regular work; and for some it’s a chance to gain valuable retail work experience.”

The Tip Shop is run by social enterprise Wastesavers in partnership with Newport City Council. Wastesavers also operates two more reuse shops in Wales, with a Reuse Centre at Phoenix Business Park in Newport and The Shed at Llantrisant Community Recycling Centre in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

You can find out more about Wastesavers on the organisation’s website.