Repair and reuse scheme could be launched in Flintshire to cut waste

A scheme to repair and reuse household goods could be introduced at recycling centres in Flintshire in a bid to reduce waste.

Flintshire Council is looking to start a pilot project which would see containers located at its five recycling sites in the county for people to leave items which are in a reusable condition.

Among the goods expected to be collected as part of the project are clothes, toys, board games, jigsaws, computer games, DVDs and CDs.

The items would then be taken to a central location to be sorted by volunteers before being sold in charity shops.

The local authority is proposing to work with the Refurbs Flintshire charity to deliver the initiative, which is dependent on the success of a £250,000 funding bid to the Welsh Government’s landfill disposals tax communities scheme.

Katie Wilby, the council’s chief officer for streetscene and transportation, said the idea was being revisited after previously being delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a report, she said: “The Welsh Government’s ‘Beyond Recycling’ strategy gives local authorities clear direction that the emphasis on positive waste management and the move towards a circular economy starts with ensuring that items are kept in use for as long as possible.

“This is achieved by adopting the waste hierarchy of reusing, repurposing or repairing items as the first option before choosing recycling or disposal.

“In an effort to promote repair and reuse, we wrote to all the charities registered in Flintshire in August 2019 to gauge their interest in working in partnership with us to introduce an initiative at the household recycling centres.

“One of the charities that expressed an interest was Refurbs Flintshire, a long-standing partner to the authority for the delivery of the bulky waste collection service.

“As we are keen to re-instigate this initiative, further conversations have taken place with Refurbs Flintshire on a manageable way to implement a pilot scheme to prove concept and sustainability and trial the proposals.”

The project would result in a library being created at a central hub for Flintshire residents to loan books, DVDs and CDs.

There are also plans to provide a collection service for textiles such as clothes to link with the council’s school uniform exchange scheme.

The initiative is due to be discussed by members of the authority’s environment and economy scrutiny committee at a meeting on Tuesday (February 8, 2022).

A decision on the funding bid is expected this month and if successful, the pilot will run from April this year until March 2023.

Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).