Wastesavers, a South Wales-based reuse charity that also operates commercial recycling services for over 350 businesses, has announced the opening of three new shops in the region.
The charity’s existing recycling centres in Cardiff and Abertillery will each see the opening of onsite shops, where items can be donated, alongside the opening of a brand new large retail unit in Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil.
With the opening of its new stores, Wastesavers will have six reuse stores at recycling centres in Newport, Llantrisant, Maesteg, Treherbert, Abertillery and Cardiff, as well as two large retail outlets in Newport and Pentrebach.
Opened in 2015, the first Wastesavers ‘Tip Shop’ was opened at the Newport Household Recycling Centre. Over the last two years, the Newport shop has seen the diversion of over 207,000 items from skips.
Through its network of reuse shops, the charity works to provide furniture and technology to people in need, as well as running social inclusion programmes, such as its PEAK programme, which works with young people struggling in mainstream education.
Alun Harries, Charity Manager at Wastesavers, said: “Reuse shops at council recycling centres have proved very popular.
“We’ve just appointed staff for the Pentrebach Reuse Superstore – “A new lease of life” and plan to open the other stores in the new year.
“Last year (2019 – 2020) we found new homes for well over 416,000 items that would have been dumped in recycling skips. Recycling is good for the environment and we should all be doing it; reusing household items, however, saves even more energy.
“But reuse also brings social benefits,” Harries explained. “In the last two years, for example, we’ve created 11 new jobs, with potentially a further 10 across the new sites, and also lots of opportunities for volunteering. 40 per cent of our paid staff were previously volunteers with us.
“As a charity we work towards a triple bottom line of environmental, social and economic sustainability. We work in partnership with local authorities and any profits that are made support our social inclusion programmes. We believe every recycling centre should have one of these shops.”
To read more about Wastesavers and its activities, you can visit its website.
Get our weekly digest
resource.co article ai
How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.