Reuse is an essential part of the waste hierarchy, reduce, reuse and recycle. This page is dedicated to giving advice on how to best to reuse your unwanted items from a kettle to a sofa, we want to give the things we use the most in life, the longest life possible. Take a look through the tabs below:

When it comes to our white goods at home, we can be quick to throw away items and replace them rather than looking into repairing them. 

There are local companies that specialise in repairs to give our fridges and washing machines a longer life. These are often cheaper options than buying new so you can spend your funds on more fun things. It also diverts bulky items from the waste stream. Another option would be to offer broken or damaged items for free to others for spares and repairs through sites that promote free household items, as long as it is safe to do so.

 

 

The best thing we can do with an unwanted item is to gift it to someone who needs it. 

From clothes to sofas, there are many people in our borough that need support. Offering items that you no longer need to others is one of the kindest things you can do for our community and our planet. Have a search on the internet for sites that let you advertise unwanted items.

Insert link to list of charities via TWC

 

Charity

Veolia has partnered with local charities A Better Tomorrow and Stay to help reuse materials collected as part of the recycling and waste services to the borough. 

This means that items collected through our bulky waste service or donated through our Household Recycling Centres which are of a good quality and reach the necessary guidance criteria are sent on for reuse where possible. You can always speak to a member of the team at A Better Tomorrow and Stay to see what they are looking for right now and if they can make use of your unwanted household items.

Stay does appeal for certain items to help those they support through their Facebook page.

Bulky Collections & HRCs

If you aren’t able to find a new home for your unwanted item you can bring it to one of our two Household Recycling Centres or you can book a bulky collection through Telford & Wrekin Council. We will do our best to donate you items to our charity partners.

Remember to help us reuse your items, please try to:

  • Protect them from the weather when presenting for a bulky collection
  • If you are taking items apart such as a bed frame, place the fittings in a container so Stay and A Better Tomorrow can put the item back together again
  • Speak to a member of the Household Recycling Centre teams to see if your item can be reused by our chosen charities

For a map of our HRCs and what they can accept visit www.telford.gov.uk/hrc. To book a bulky collection visit www.telford.gov.uk/bulk .

Junk mail can very disheartening to receive when you do your best to recycle. Here are tips on how to stop it coming through your door https://www.recyclenow.com/reduce-waste/junk-mail

Composting is a great way to use up leftover food from around the home, it also saves you money on having to buy compost. For tips on how to get started click here. For any food waste that can’t go in your compost bin, remember to recycle it in your food caddy.

Food waste is a real issue, not only for our planet, but also for our purse! In order to reduce the amount of food we waste it is always best to write a shopping list and try to stick to it. It is estimated that an average household throws away £60 worth of food every month.

Food banks welcome any donations in date, if you have food that you know you aren’t going to eat but is still within date please consider donating it to your local food bank.