Donate and don't cremate old furniture

In Scotland more than 125,000 sofas are thrown away each year and end up in landfill. The rest – just 15 per cent – are re-used.

With Guy Fawkes’ celebrations just around the corner, Zero Waste Scotland is calling on residents across Scotland to help boost that figure and give their goods a new lease of life, simply by contacting the Re-use Line.

Created by Zero Waste Scotland, the initiative allows householders to arrange for large re-usable items, such as dining tables and sofas, to be collected, free of charge, and used by someone else. This reduces the amount of furniture that needlessly ends up in landfill – or on November bonfires – by making it easy, free and convenient to donate it instead.

Andrew Pankhurst, Re-use Campaigns Manager at Zero Waste Scotland, said: “More than 7,500 items have been donated via the Re-use Line since it was established in 2014, which is fantastic news for Scotland both environmentally and socially. The figures around re-use are staggering. The re-use of sofas saved from landfill each year contributes around £1.5 million to the Scottish economy through sales and employment, and the carbon emissions prevented by re-using is equivalent to taking 682 cars off the road.

“There used to be a huge amount of hassle involved in disposing of unwanted furniture but the Re-use Line is a free, efficient solution.

“Its impressive uptake within just two years clearly shows it has been welcomed by householders and it’s doing its bit for local communities by supporting jobs and providing items for people in need.”

Householders can donate via the Re-use Line online anytime at www.reusephoneline.com, or by phone on 0800 0665 820 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. An answerphone service is available at weekends.

Common items picked up by the service include sofas, chairs, tables, wardrobes, white goods and beds that are in good condition. Zero Waste Scotland advises householders that sofas and armchairs must have their fire tags still in place to comply with regulations around re-sale, and to ensure items are not broken or damaged.

Many items picked up are sent to second hand stores which are accredited as Revolve stores, a quality standard for second hand shops that meet high standards and levels of customer service.

Encouraging greater re-use of items is a key part of Zero Waste Scotland’s work on creating a circular economy, where products and materials stay in the highest value state for as long as possible.

The Re-use Line is funded by the Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme Fund, which is administered by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. It is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).The Re-use Line is funded by the Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme Fund, which is administered by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. It is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).