External verification crucial to third sector success

At its annual conference in Cheshire, the Furniture Reuse Network (FRN) said that the use of quality assurances would also help to boost confidence among business and councils to get involved with the community sector.

The FRN claimed that the use of these assurances, which were outlined as a main issue for the sector in WRAP's ‘Third Sector: Investment for Growth' document published last month (see letsrecycle.com story), would help the sector to build its treatment and reuse capacity.

“Crucially, the success of this private/third sector partnership hinges upon the kind of externally-verified quality assurance scheme that was identified by WRAP,” an FRN spokeswoman said.

“Implementation of such systems will improve the confidence of commercial operators and local authorities who have not yet engaged with the sector.”

Event

The event on January 14, which marked the 20th year of FRN operations, featured a host of speakers discussing various elements of third sector reuse and recycling schemes, from finance to furniture reuse.

Keynote speaker Nigel Kershaw, chief executive of Big Issue Invest, discussed the portfolio of funding opportunities open to third sector organisations, such as, sales, contracts, grant funding and loans. Mr Kershaw said loans were an “attractive and real option for loan-nervous third sector organisations”.

Also speaking at the event, Andrew Hanratty, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) compliance scheme manager at waste management firm Veolia Environmental Services, outlined the function of the French-owned firm's WEEE producer compliance scheme and identified an opportunity to work with furniture reuse charities to help cut this waste.

FRN Enterprise

Representing Swedish furniture giant IKEA, UK environment manager Charlie Browne, discussed the working agreement it has with FRN Enterprises – the trading arm of the FRN – to help redistribute unwanted or waste furniture to reuse organisations.

In his speech, Mr Browne said that in the coming months the furniture company would be distributing leaflets in its UK stores promoting the local FRN Enterprise-accredited reuse organisation, in a bid to get its customers to think more about the reuse of material.

FRN Enterprises operates as a brokerage service which takes unwanted furniture goods from retailers, such as IKEA, and finds end markets for them. The organisation assesses and audits all potential recipients.

The FRN conference, at Cranage Hall near Knutsford in Cheshire, attracted over 160 visitors over its three days, with representatives being drawn from local authorities, consultancies and both the third and the private sectors.