Local authorities encouraged to tap into re-use potential

The document, compiled by the Furniture Reuse Network, LARAC and WRAP provides practical guidance for local authorities and reuse charities looking to set up furniture reuse credit schemes.

While the charity reuse sector diverts over 85,000 tonnes from landfill a year, the document revealed that these organisations “increasingly need to find sources of sustainable income to ensure their operations continue to divert materials from disposal.”

It said councils could take a leading role in ensuring the groups' survival. The document stated: “By supporting these organisations, local authorities can ensure that they continue to operate and contribute to the achievement of the local waste strategy and the principles of the waste hierarchy, while providing a range of wider benefits to the local community.”

So far 17 councils have set up re-use credits schemes and 12 more are considering it. With over 250,000 tonnes of furniture and white goods still being disposed in the UK each year there is a huge reuse market to be tapped into.

“Comprehensive”
Joy Blizzard, the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee's communications officer, said: “This is something the reuse sector have wanted for a long time. The credits are an additional source of outcome for them. They have been working on a hand to mouth basis for a long time.”

“Not only does it flag up the importance of the re-use market but it brings all the information together in a more comprehensive, practical way,” Ms Blizzard added.

The briefing was produced to be a practical “hands on” guide to the legislation, following the release of Defra's guidance on recycling credits in April 2006. It tells councils that by setting up a reuse credit scheme, they can boost both their recycling rate and their performance against Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme targets, since a proportion of furniture is biodegradable.

Caroline Lee-Smith, development officer at the FRN – the national body representing furniture re-use groups – explained: “We wrote this how-to guide in order to set out current best practice and included generic forms for local use to make the process as simple as possible.”

Councils already using re-use credit schemes have said they can help push recycling levels after other funding sources available to councils come to an end.

Stuart Hammond, waste policy and recycling manager at Blackburn with Darwen borough council, said: “As grant and statutory funding sources dry up, re-use credits can help support local social enterprises and ensure that items that would previously have gone to landfill are re-used for the benefit of the local community.

“In addition to protecting the environment and the demand on natural resources, this type of measure provides more immediate benefits to local people and can save the local authority money,” Mr Hammond said.