Recycling and Repurposing
The statistics on waste and recycling in the UK highlight the urgent need to create a functioning system to share resources, reduce consumerism and live more sustainably:
- UK households throw away 155,000 tonnes of domestic electrical waste annually, hoarding nearly 20 small old electrical items per household. (Recycle-more.co.uk).
- The UK has the highest consumption of new clothing in Europe, with the average person buying 26.7kg of new clothes each year. The average lifetime for a piece of clothing is estimated to be 2.2 years leading to around 300,000 tonnes of used clothes either being burned or sent to landfills on an annual basis.
This initiative is a complement to, and is not intended to replace, valuable and successful established initiatives such as Freegle, Freecycle, the multiple Facebook Groups and Buy Nothing Networks etc. Green Ways uses several of these networks to offer items when we are running out of space in the Hub. Our own community research has shown that some people may struggle to access free items available online: they may have no transport/access to the internet, or cannot meet the deadline requested. When people are offering items, they may need the items gone as soon as possible. Charity shops are becoming more mindful of what they receive as the costs of disposal increase. The ‘Waste Not’ free shop is another way to acquire items at no cost and to dispose of items that are no longer needed.
Recycling Other Items
Selected Household Rubbish
As we grow, we aim to offer more general recycling opportunities for household rubbish, including those items that are not recycled as part of local authority collections. Currently we are collecting:
- Printer cartridges, including laser cartridges.
- Batteries
This list will continue to be updated so please check back.
Unwanted Bras
We collect bras which are given to local charity and neighbour Stepping Forward (www.stepping-forward.org.uk); these are sent to mothers of disabled children in Sierra Leone who sell them to generate an income. Bras are not made locally in Sierra Leone and can generate a reasonable return for mothers who are struggling to balance work and their caring responsibilities.
Sunglasses and Hats
We also collect sunglasses, hats and long-sleeved shirts for people with albinism in Sierra Leone through a partnership with the Sierra Leone Association of People With Albinism.
We are able to send these items free of charge with the support of a shipping company.
Where we are
Address
13a Southview Park, Caversham, Reading RG4 5AF
Some of our funders
Green Ways
Consuming Less | Sharing Resources |Cutting Carbon
