Aberdeenshire Council is expanding opportunities for reuse at household recycling centres so that more pre-loved items can be rehomed by a local charity.

Additional reuse containers are now in place at Banchory, Laurencekirk, Macduff, Peterhead, Portlethen, and Stonehaven household recycling centres to complement the containers already in place at Ellon and Peterhead.

Pre-loved items donated through the containers are safety and function checked, then upcycled or processed by a local charity for resale. This creates more opportunities for people to access affordable, high-quality products with far less carbon impact than buying new.

The following cared-for items are now accepted for local charities via the reuse containers: Furniture with fire-retardant label, electrical items with all parts and plug, sports equipment, bric-a-brac/general household items, garden furniture and equipment, footwear, toys

Pictured from left to right are Cllr Sarah Dickinson, Cllr Isobel Davidson (ISC Vice Chair), Cllr Alan Turner, and Cllr Jim Gifford (SC Vice Chair), all supporting the reuse scheme.

The charities that will service and benefit from the containers are Stella’s Voice for Ellon, Macduff, Peterhead, Portlethen, and Stonehaven household recycling centres and Magpie for Banchory and Laurencekirk.

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee Cllr Alan Turner said: “By extending the lifecycle of these items we support a shift towards a more circular economy. Recycling is good, but it is even better to rehome our pre-loved items so that they can be reused again and again.

“Initiatives of this kind reduce the need to extract new raw materials for new products—and avoid the emissions generated from doing so—while also preventing goods from needlessly ending up in landfill or being incinerated.”

Sustainability Committee (SC) Chair Cllr Sarah Dickinson, who was nominated to be a champion for re-use at the time of the project’s feasibility study, said: “None of this would be possible without the charities. I am grateful for their help in providing more and more opportunities for reuse across Aberdeenshire.

“Choosing to reuse quality pre-loved items is an effective way to protect natural resources, reduce our carbon impact, and save money.”

It is estimated that the reuse containers will save around 293 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) per year. That is the equivalent of taking 156 cars off the road for a full 12 months or growing around 14,000 trees for a year.

Aberdeenshire Council welcomed £37,095 in funding for the new containers through the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund Small Grant Scheme opens in a new tab, administered by Zero Waste Scotland.

David Gunn, Recycling Improvement Fund Manager at Zero Waste Scotland, said:  “It’s fantastic to see improved reuse infrastructure now in place in Aberdeenshire. Opting for second-hand, and donating goods once they’re no longer needed, is a great way for residents and visitors to protect the environment and support local good causes at the same time.

“A total of 40 projects across Scotland have now benefitted from Recycling Improvement Fund grants, helping hundreds of thousands of people to live more sustainably and create Scotland’s circular economy. We are proud to work with Aberdeenshire Council to successfully embed reuse at its recycling centres, benefitting both people and planet.”

For more information about Aberdeenshire Council’s Household Recycling Centres opening times to access the reuse containers, visit aberdeenshire.gov.uk/RecyclingCentres

Choose to reuse at household recycling centres