We’re excited to share that Circular Communities Scotland has reached a major milestone – 250 members!
We couldn’t have done it without the dedication and support of our amazing board and team, our funders, and of course our incredible members, who are working hard to create a more circular and sustainable Scotland.
Thank you for being part of Circular Communities Scotland, and for your ongoing commitment to tackling climate change whilst providing environmental and social justice to communities across the country!
Supporting your local sharing and repairing projects is an amazing way to change the way you consume, make less waste, and support your local community – but what exactly IS sharing and repairing? Where are your local projects, and what does it mean to get involved ??
Join Circular Communities Scotland’s Share and Repair Network this week to learn more about sharing and repairing and see if YOU are #ShareRepairAware!
Do you want to live more sustainably? Change the way you consume? Fight climate change? Save money in the cost-of-living crisis?
Sharing and repairing are amazing ways to do all the above, as well as support charities and social enterprises that give back to your local community, but it can be confusing to know where to go, what to do, or how to get involved.
Our #ShareRepairAware campaign is here to help.
Sounds good! How can I get involved?
Feeling brave? Take our online quiz to see if your knowledge about sharing and repairing is up to scratch! (If you share your results on socials, don’t forget to @ us, and use the #ShareRepairAware hashtag!)
Not sure about sharing and repairing? Read our campaign article (yes this one!) to learn more or visit our sharing and repairing webpage.
Like and share our posts on TWITTER, FACEBOOK and LINKEDIN to spread the word and help others be #ShareRepairAware!
The destruction of unsold, durable goods could be banned as part of plans to reduce waste, Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater has announced.
Proposals for a ban will be put forward in a consultation on a new Circular Economy Bill, to be published in May.
It is intended to address public concerns about unsold products being destroyed or ending up in landfill. Retailers may be required to look for other options for unsold products, including donating and recycling them.
The proposals would make sure Scotland keeps pace with Europe as France has recently enacted such a ban and the EU is currently considering similar interventions.
To mark the announcement, the Minister will visit Fresh Start in West Pilton. The charity distributes essential household goods and white goods donated by retailers as part of their work to help people who have been homeless establish themselves in their new home.
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “It is absolutely senseless for perfectly good products to end up in landfill. Rather than being wasted in landfill or incinerated, they should be reused or repurposed.
“Organisations like Fresh Start show that there is a real need for items like these, and with the cost of living increasing this need is growing rapidly.
“We are living in a climate emergency. When goods go to landfill without having even been used once, we don’t just waste the product – we also waste all the energy and raw materials that went into making it.
“This proposal is a direct response to the public concerns about what happens to items that go unsold. By pursuing a ban, we can make sure they make it into the hands of those that need them, and help Scotland reduce its carbon footprint.
“This is the sort of action that’s needed to create a circular economy and shows the level of ambition that will be contained in our proposals in May.”
Michael Cook, CEO of Circular Communities Scotland said: “We are delighted a timetable has been set for consulting on the Circular Economy Bill and look forward to working with Scottish Government to deliver as ambitious a bill as possible.
“We have been campaigning for a ban on companies destroying products which could easily be repurposed for some time and, therefore, welcome, and fully support this proposal.
“Circular Communities Scotland represents a range of impressive charities and social enterprises providing a whole variety of creative alternatives for materials considered waste or surplus. This bill validates their significant contribution towards establishing a more circular economy in Scotland.”
Funding to deliver key recommendation of Scotland’s Climate Assembly
The Scottish Government is to help fund a new national network of community sharing libraries and repair cafes as part of a drive to reduce consumption and cut waste.
Under the £310,000 reuse and repair scheme, funded jointly with Zero Waste Scotland, more resource libraries will be established across Scotland – a key recommendation of Scotland’s Climate Assembly.
The facilities allow people to borrow items such as high quality tools, equipment, clothes and toys rather than buying them.
The scheme – overseen by the Circular Communities Scotland charity in collaboration with Edinburgh Tool Library and Edinburgh Remakery – will also see more repair cafes set up to teach people the skills to repair items.
A report by Social Investment Scotland on behalf of Zero Waste Scotland in 2020 identified 24 repair cafes and sharing library projects in Scotland and the intention is to increase this to 100 in the next three years.
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Michael Matheson said: “Scotland’s Climate Assembly called for action and I’m very pleased that we will support a network of resource libraries and repair cafes.
“Sharing libraries provide a direct reduction in consumption, waste and emissions because they allow people to switch from purchasing and owning items to borrowing them instead. Repair cafes give people the skills to re-use their own items.
“This network also supports our drive to tackle poverty by giving lower income groups access to tools or equipment not otherwise available and the skills to use them.”
Chief Executive Officer of Zero Waste Scotland Iain Gulland, said: “Scotland – and the world – urgently needs to address its consumption problem. The current demand on the planet’s finite, precious materials is unsustainable.
“The circular economy is one of the best tools we have in our arsenal. We can reduce our consumption by keeping existing materials in circulation and only buying new when absolutely necessary.
“Sharing libraries and repair cafes are not only great ways of implementing a more circular way of living, but an opportunity to get to know people and businesses doing amazing work in your community. We hope to see as many of these local initiatives come to fruition as soon as possible.”
Michael Cook, CEO, Circular Communities Scotland said: “For Scotland to combat climate change, we each need to change our own consumption behaviours. Sharing libraries and repair cafés provide simple and effective solutions to do this whilst reducing our carbon footprint.
“Rather than throwing an old item away we can repair it at a repair cafe, or even better, be taught the repair skills to fix it ourselves. Similarly, rather than buy a new product we can borrow one from a local sharing library. We are delighted to receive this funding to form the new network and significantly grow the number of these projects in Scotland.”
