The ‘Third Sector Capacity and Reuse in London' report, funded by Defra, the North London Waste Authority and London Councils, showed that around 4,000 tonnes of materials, such as furniture, IT equipment and appliances, were being reused every year but groups had to contend with low margins, high cost of overheads and “the chronic undervaluation of reuse caused by the historic under pricing of competing disposal methods.”
We need to incentivise people to encourage them to give away goods for reuse. In London there are 600 charity shops, 60 reuse shops, the potential is there, we are in a perfect position to start
Richard Blakeway, environment advisor to Mayor of London Boris Johnson
Its publication comes as the wait continues for Defra to produce its Strategy for the Third Sector, which will include how the third sector can assist in the fight against climate change, protect the environment and support rural communities.
The strategy was due to be published this spring, but a spokeswoman for Defra today told letsrecycle.com: “Our consultation ended earlier this year and we are now working with the stakeholders to further develop the strategy, which will be published at the end of the year.”
It was subjected to two rounds of consultations, which urged Defra to listen to the needs of the sector and communicate with parties working within it.
London
Taking into account approximately 600 organisations and initiatives in the capital, the London report included research performed by the London Community Recycling Network which showed that the reuse of materials in the capital had expanded steadily since 2004 and the number of people served by the sector had risen from 11,000 to 16,000 between 2004 and 2007.
However, despite the promising figures, concerns were raised over the better performance of the sector south of the Thames compared to the rest of the city, particularly the north and the west, as well as the problems posed by logistics. It was also noted that reuse options available to people had to be publicised in order to increase participation.
Praise
Richard Blakeway, environment adviser to Mayor Boris Johnson, said: “We need to incentivise people to encourage them to give away goods for reuse. In London there are 600 charity shops, 60 reuse shops, the potential is there, we are in a perfect position to start. The London Waste and Recycling Board will definitely take this research into account.”
With the intention to cut down to zero waste, the LCRN was keen to reiterate that, with that goal in mind, reuse is a more environmentally friendly pursuit than recycling, as it doesn't require processing and reproduction.
The social value of reuse was also highlighted, with the report outlining training opportunities and work placements in the sector for people who are long-term unemployed, ex-offenders or have disabilities.
The document concluded that the most successful reuse organisations work in contract partnership with their local authorities, and recommended the reconfiguration of all local authority bulky waste services to maximise reuse and recycling, as well as the formation of seven new reuse sites in London.
Moves have already been made to improve the opportunities for reuse organisations to work with local authorities, with the Waste & Resources Action Programme launching a new capacity-building programme in June, with partners including the LCRN, which aims to help make the sector more able to compete for council contracts (see letsrecycle.com story ).
The London report mirrors work done by the Community Recycling Network for Scotland, who has been publishing research on reuse of materials in the Scotland for the past seven years.
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