Zero Waste Scotland is challenging Scots to get involved with its ‘Big Electric Amnesty’, as part of this year’s Pass it on Week (11-19 March 2017), by donating their unwanted electricals to others.
Continue reading One third of Scots have unused smartphones going to waste
Make this Christmas waste-free
Zero Waste Scotland is calling on Scots to make this Christmas memorable with pre-loved presents and personal style.
Christmas may be the time when most of us put on a few pounds around the middle and lose quite a few from our wallets. While perhaps we may resign ourselves to the first, there is a way to make the second a little less painful – or less wasteful at least.
According to figures from Zero Waste Scotland, Scots are expected to send more than 95 million Christmas cards this year; that’s enough to fill over 13,000 wheelie bins. Meanwhile around 19,000 miles of wrapping paper will be used across the country – enough to wrap the coast of mainland Scotland more than two and a half times. And that’s not even including food waste, with more than 50,000 tonnes of food and drink expected to be binned in Scotland during the month of December alone.
Scots are being encouraged to make Christmas 2016 a waste-conscious one by taking into account simple considerations when doing their shopping – thinking about how they will use up excess food and considering whether the cards and wrapping they buy can be recycled or re-used.
When it comes to gifts, buying trends are edging towards waste-free alternatives. The popularity of gift experiences continues to grow, with practical presents such as upcycling, sewing classes and repair skills appealing as equally as adventure gifts and spa days to those keen for a more meaningful gesture. Meanwhile new leasing and borrowing options are emerging, with trendy presents such as leasing Lego and tool library memberships providing unique and useful gifts for a wide range of ages and interests.
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Giving Christmas presents is such an enjoyable thing to do, and no-one likes the idea of them going to waste. Scotland is really leading the way on growing the circular economy, so it’s fantastic to see gift options emerging that let people give more meaningful presents that are unique and better for the environment.”
For inspiration on finding waste-free or waste reducing gifts this Christmas, see our 10 tips below:
Buy pre-loved
Visit second-hand shops to find unique gifts that are built to last. Check out our list of Revolve certified stores – Scotland’s national re-use quality standard for retailers
Make memories
Go for an experience – like gig tickets, a fancy meal out, a hot air balloon trip or spa day – rather than material things for an unforgettable gift.
Add a personal touch
Tailor your wrapping paper by personality and give your gifts some flair. Wrap your fashionable friend’s gift using an old copy of Vogue, for example, or re-use old comics to wrap kids’ Christmas presents.
Make things last
Cut down on paper waste by sending e-cards or buying cards made from recycled paper.
Add value
Give someone the gift that keeps on giving. Memberships or courses, such as sewing, upholstery or bike maintenance, give people the chance to develop a skill as well as indulging in a hobby or passion.
Pay it forward
Received a gift you don’t need but don’t want to ask for the receipt? Return it for an exchange, re-gift it if someone else would love it, sell it online or feel great and donate it to charity.
Combine and conquer
Have fun, save money and get a gift you actually want with a friends and family Secret Santa. Put names in a hat along with a hint of what you would like.
Make your own
Get creative and give someone a one of a kind gift. Are you a keen cook? Cakes, jams and chutneys can make useful and thoughtful presents, and cut down on food waste.
Shop smart
Plan your meals before you go food shopping. Writing a list makes sure you don’t overbuy saves you money and prevents food waste.
Be green
Opt for solar power outdoor lights where possible and remember to turn your Christmas lights off when you’re out or in bed.
For more inspiration on unusual eco-friendly gifts, from a remanufactured Polaroid camera to leasing Lego, visit the Zero Waste Scotland website.
Edinburgh residents are being urged to avoid the bonfire and send their unwanted furniture to a new home this season.
In Scotland more than 125,000 sofas are thrown away each year and end up in landfill. The rest – just 15% – are re-used. With Guy Fawkes’ celebrations just around the corner, Zero Waste Scotland is calling on Edinburgh residents to help boost that figure and give their goods a new lease of life simply by contacting the Re-use Line.
Created by Zero Waste Scotland, the initiative allows householders to arrange for large re-usable items, such as dining tables and sofas, to be collected, free of charge, and used by someone else. This reduces the amount of furniture that needlessly ends up in landfill – or on November bonfires – by making it easy, free and convenient to donate it instead.
Andrew Pankhurst, Re-use Campaigns Manager at Zero Waste Scotland, said: “More than 7,500 items have been donated via the Re-use Line since it was established in 2014, which is fantastic news for Scotland both environmentally and socially. The figures around re-use are staggering. The re-use of sofas saved from landfill each year contributes around £1.5million to the Scottish economy through sales and employment, and the carbon emissions prevented by re-using is equivalent to taking 682 cars off the road.
“There used to be a huge amount of hassle involved in disposing of unwanted furniture but the Re-use Line is a free, efficient solution. Its impressive uptake within just two years clearly shows it has been welcomed by householders and it’s doing its bit for local communities by supporting jobs and providing items for people in need.”
Householders can donate via the Re-use Line online anytime at www.reusephoneline.com, or by phone on 0800 0665 820 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. An answerphone service is available at weekends.
Common items picked up by the service include sofas, chairs, tables, wardrobes, white goods and beds that are in good condition. Zero Waste Scotland advises householders that sofas and armchairs must have their fire tags still in place to comply with regulations around re-sale, and to ensure items are not broken or damaged.
Many items picked up are sent to second hand stores which are accredited as Revolve stores, a quality standard for second hand shops that meet high standards and levels of customer service.
Encouraging greater re-use of items is a key part of Zero Waste Scotland’s work on creating a circular economy, where products and materials stay in the highest value state for as long as possible.
The Re-use Line is funded by the Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme Fund, which is administered by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. It is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).The Re-use Line is funded by the Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme Fund, which is administered by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. It is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
RE-USE line 0800 0665 820
Edinburgh residents are being offered the opportunity to feel great, not guilty, about what happens to their unwanted household itemsby calling the Re-use Line to arrange for their items to have another life. Continue reading Feel great, not guilty!
Pass It On Week 5 – 13 March
Local organisations are backing a national campaign that aims to encourage people to keep things in use for longer.
Edinburgh residents are set to answer a national call to make things last. A host of local events have been lined up for this year’s Pass it On Week – an annual event in the recycling and reuse calendar.
In Edinburgh, this includes a diverse mix of activity, including:
– Upcycled World are running furniture painting workshops at Tribe Porty in Portobello on 5th March to breath new life into old furniture.
– Gorgie City Farm (above) are holding a seed swap for green-fingered locals on 12th of March.
– Students at Edinburgh Napier University are holding a Trash Fashion event on 9th March, upcycling old bike inner tubes into fashion accessories.
– Pupils at Abbeyhill Primary School are holding a school uniform swap on 11th March.
– Edinburgh University Students are creating a ‘Re-use Hoose’ on 15th March to show how to much can be done with re-used household items.
These are just some of more than 250 swapping, donating, sharing, upcycling and repairing events happening across Scotland to help products stay in use as long as possible, helping to reduce our impact on the planet.
Pass it on Week is also about encouraging people to buy more re-used items. There is a growing network of second hand shops across Scotland that have achieved the Revolve quality standard, which aims to get more people buying used items.
Edinburgh has several Revolve accredited stores including the Bike Station which specialises in refurbished bikes and a number of re-used furniture stores including Fresh Start on Ferry Road Drive and the Edinburgh Furniture Initiative which has superstores in Sighthill and Cannonmills.
Zero Waste Scotland chief executive Iain Gulland said: “We’ve had a tremendous response to Pass it On Week across Scotland this year, and it’s great to see so much activity in Edinburgh. Keeping items in use for longer can save money, create job opportunities and make best use of the world’s raw materials that go into making the goods that we consume.
“It’s all about creating a society where we see the value in things instead of treating them as disposable. By sharing, swapping, repairing, buying second-hand and doing all we can to make things last, we can develop a more sustainable, circular economy for a flourishing Scotland.”
With more events being added all the time, Edinburgh residents should head to www.passitonweek.com and look up events in their area to see what’s happening.
Don’t be alarmed, it’s not the return of the electro-prog rockers – it’s arts and crafts in Muirhouse with a re-use and recycle theme!
Call National Re-Use on 0800 0665 280
Edinburgh residents looking to make space for visiting family members over the festive period can have bulky furniture items collected for free through the National Re-use Phone Line. The free service, managed by Zero Waste Scotland, collects unwanted items such as wardrobes, chests of drawers, sideboards, tables, sofas and beds that are in re-usable condition and takes them away to be used again. Continue reading Pre-Christmas clearout?
The doctor will see you now …!
A major eight-week social media campaign launches today to encourage Scots to try upcycling – and discover the joys of re-use.
‘Design Doctor’ – #DesignDoc – is run by Zero Waste Scotland to encourage and inspire everyone to try upcycling and discover the joys of re-use, with expert guidance from designers – both online and in person. The campaign will culminate in a range of interactive events at the end of November.
Each week, three Scottish designers – Emily Rose Vintage and Treemendus from Glasgow and Very Vintage from Edinburgh – will completely transform one of seven items of furniture and post the details on Twitter and Facebook.
The pieces destined for upcycling will be sourced from a range of second-hand stores accredited by ‘Revolve’ – a re-use quality standard for shops who sell second hand goods in Scotland. The Revolve brand is only awarded to retailers who demonstrate a high level of excellence, both in service and product – making it safe, easy and inviting for everyone to buy second-hand items.
The Design Doctor designers will demonstrate a range of techniques and tricks to give people the creative inspiration to upcycle their own pieces of furniture, thus increasing the value of their item while lowering their carbon footprint.
Environment Minister Dr Aileen McLeod said: “The Design Doctor campaign is an ideal fit with the Scottish Government’s approach to creating a more circular economy in Scotland. The attraction of a more circular approach to our economy – where we keep materials flowing through the economy at as high a value as possible, for as long as possible – is that it tackles a number of economic, environmental, social and moral imperatives.
“Scotland’s Revolve programme is a great way to empower people to upcycle household items instead of throwing them away – and this is a concept that makes sense for business, industry, the public sector, and individuals. As we approach an expensive time of year in the run up to Christmas, this campaign is the perfect way to look at saving a bit of money and having the opportunity to be creative with some of your household items.”
Each week, Twitter and Facebook users who follow the #DesignDoc hashtag can see pictures of the piece of furniture waiting to be upcycled. Three ideas will be suggested by the designers as to how they might transform the piece and users will be asked to vote for their favourite design.
The winning idea will be used to create the final upcycled article, with an accompanying ‘how to’ guide uploaded online with pictures. The social media campaign will also include a competition to win the chance to have a piece of furniture upcycled by one of the designers.
Izzie Johnston, Reuse and Repair Manager, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Our innovative Design Doctor social media campaign is all about encouraging people to overcome any uncertainties they may have about upcycling, and providing them with the skills and confidence to give it a try. The campaign centres around getting people involved and being interactive, so we’re really excited to see the results.
“Re-using things – whether that be through upcycling, donating unwanted items, or buying from re-use store – is one of the best options for the environment since it prevents waste going to landfill or simply being recycled. Upcycling is a particularly exciting aspect to this because it can add both aesthetic and financial value to an item.
“Those who feel inspired to re-use and buy second-hand can visit one of over 40 fantastic Revolve-accredited stores throughout Scotland, where they’ll find high quality, excellent value goods. They can also join the conversation on Twitter by following @revolvereuse. We really want people to realise that second-hand need never mean second best.
“Equally, there is a wonderful sense of pride, achievement – and even surprise – to be gained from producing something beautiful, unique and valuable for your home by upcycling something you already have.”
The campaign will also incorporate videos and blogs to engage people online, alongside five in-store upcycling workshops hosted by one of the three campaign designers at Revolve-accredited stores in Edinburgh, Irvine, the Isle of Bute, Dingwall and Dysart.
The Revolve-accredited stores donating furniture to the Design Doctor campaign are: Second Opportunities in Glasgow; Oskars in Paisley; New Start Highland and Everything Baby in Inverness; Cunninghame Furniture Recycling in Irvine, and Fyne Futures on the Isle of Bute.
There are now over 40 Revolve-accredited shops in Scotland. Customers with items they no longer require can ensure their goods are re-used rather than landfilled by contacting the National Re-Use Phone Line on 0800 0665 820. The facility allows callers to skip the hassle of taking large household items like bed frames, sofas and white goods to the local recycling centre, and instead have them picked up and taken to be re-used by someone else, free of charge. Re-using rather than recycling 100 sofas, for example, saves 1.5 tonnes of carbon and is a much more environmentally-friendly option.
Follow all the #DesignDoc action on www.facebook.com/RecycleForScotland and www.twitter.com/ZeroWasteScot.
To find out more about the Revolve programme, visit www.revolvereuse.com or follow @revolvereuse on Twitter. Businesses with an interest in becoming Revolve accredited can find out more here.
Drive to encourage Scots to repair, re-use and recycle
Scotland’s Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has challenged members of the public to #MakeThingsLast with the launch of a social media engagement campaign to promote repairing, reusing and remanufacturing as part of a wider circular economy drive.
Following on from the success of the 5p single-use carrier bag charge, the Cabinet Secretary wants to know what the public believe could be the next big thing to help reduce waste and #MakeThingsLast.
Launching the campaign in Edinburgh today, Mr Lochhead said: “I wonder how many people realise that by simply hiring a kilt or a dress to attend a wedding, they are already helping to keep valuable materials circulating around our economy.
“A circular economy is where we keep products in use for as long as possible; and reused, refurbished or taken apart to make new products at the end of their initial life.
“How often do you buy new clothes for a special event that only get worn once? How many DIYers buy expensive power tools for a single task then leave them to gather dust in the garden shed? How many parents resort to buying brand new toys when something gets broken rather than repairing it?
“That’s why we’re here today – to ask people to take up our #MakeThingsLast challenge and think of ways in which they can contribute towards a more circular economy for Scotland.
“There are so many innovations to help us make better use of our resources, save money and support local jobs. For example in Edinburgh there is a tool library where you can rent out a power tool for work around the house, and then return it when you’ve finished. In Glasgow there’s a studio that offers 3-D printing, which could be the future when it comes to repairing broken toys or household items.”
Action to create a more circular economy starts with product design, which influences how products are manufactured and used – as well as how long they last and scope for repair, reuse and recycling. Combining these approaches helps to keep products in use for longer – making better use of the material, labour, energy and capital that went into their production.
Mr Lochhead added: “Scotland is already recognised internationally as a leader in the movement towards becoming a circular economy. Our Scottish Institute for Remanufacture, is the first of its kind in Europe and one of only four in the world alongside New York, Singapore and Beijing. And we are exploring the opportunities for a deposit return system in Scotland. But the new ideas will come from the public and from our entrepreneurs.”
“Creating a more circular economy is good for the environment, good for the economy and like our action on climate change, a moral imperative – it will create jobs in our communities, improve our quality of life, and just makes good sense.”
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland said: “The #MakeThingsLast campaign is about engaging everyone in Scotland in finding a solution to a common problem we all share – how do we end our throwaway culture and make the most of what we already have?
“As part of the campaign, Zero Waste Scotland plans showcase some great examples from around the country, including 3D printing and tool sharing libraries, which have the potential to transform our society. We want you to share your views on these ideas, tell us your own, and get involved in the conversation. Keep up-to-date with the latest from this four-week campaign on Zero Waste Scotland’s Facebook page, or on Twitter using #MakeThingsLast.
“At the end of this campaign, your views could contribute to the development of a roadmap towards a circular economy in Scotland. This could see Scotland adopt more game changing policies and initiatives – like our recent adoption of a charge for single-use carrier bag. These changes will help shape our future society, ensuring it’s sustainable for generations to come.”
To find out more visit www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/MakeThingsLast
Sainsburys Blackhall have been offering Christmas card recycling at the front of the shop – this has proved to be a huge success but has only a couple of days left.
So if any of our customers still have cards to recycle then the deadline is 13 January (that’s TOMORROW!) All proceeds go to FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).
Gail, Sainsburys Blackhall
