To most of us, recycling means the stuff we throw into boxes outside our back doors - newspaper, cardboard, bottles and plastic cartons.

But that, of course, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Across the country, schemes have been set up to reuse products such as tyres, office equipment, paint, furniture, clothing, and a wealth of other materials.

People in the UK throw away enough rubbish and goods to fill the Albert Hall. Buying recycled products means less rubbish ends up in landfill sites and fewer valuable natural resources get wasted. Planet looked at two schemes that not only help the environment through recycling different products, but benefit communities and people in need.



Nineteen years ago, health visitors in Keighley noticed how some of their clients were living in spartan conditions, without a table, chairs, or even in some cases, a bed.

They approached the local Council for Voluntary Service asking whether they knew of anyone who could help in such situations.

Coincidentally, at the same time, the service was receiving an increasing number of calls from people who had items of good-as-new furniture which they no longer wanted.

The two needs were married up - those who needed furniture and those who were giving it away - and the result was Keighley Furniture Project. It has been a soaraway success.

"It has grown and grown," says project manager Ann Sheriff, "We used to operate for one morning every week, and would deliver a suite, table and a couple of beds, all unseen, in a day. Now we can take loads like that around in half an hour."

The project allows people living on benefits the chance to get hold of furniture and other household items including white goods, carpets, light fittings and cutlery for their homes at very low cost. "There is a small delivery charge, and we ask for a donation," says Ann. The goods are inspected and only accepted if they are in a good, safe condition.

The project originally occupied a small area in a local mill - a building they now own thanks to a grant from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.

"We had a very good, sympathetic landlord, Stephen Johns, who let it to us at a very reasonable price until we had thefunds to buy it," says Ann. "He was very much in favour of recycling and re-use and very pleased that the mill was going to be used for that purpose, and by a community organisation."

Stephen, whose family had worked in Keighley mills for generations, agreed to be the project's patron.

Extra funding also meant the project was able to employ staff. "Before we moved here in 2001 it was totally volunteer-run," says Ann. A grant changed that, and the project was able to employ staff.

"We have gone from strength to strength. Our ethos is recycle and re-use.' Nowadays, people are reluctant to throw things away, and prefer to give. This way they can help others, as well as helping the environment."



Now in its seventh year, Community RePaint has saved more than 150,000 litres of paint being sent to landfill.

The paint re-use project, which has its base on Manningham Lane, is part of a national network that collects unwanted paint and redistributes it to community and voluntary organisations as well as individuals in need.

Last year, almost 19,000 litres was collected. "That is an average of what we now collect every year," says project co-ordinator Karen Hutchinson "It is all normal, domestic paint - emulsion, satin wood, gloss, shed and fence paint, masonry paint and varnishes. Basically, it is products that people use for the house and garden."

It began with paint being collected from two household waste recycling centres in Bradford, resulting in 9,000 litres of paint being diverted from landfill.

Now it is one of the largest projects in the UK, collecting on average 1,800 litres of paint every month.

Paint, which is either part-used or new tins, is collected from every household waste site across Bradford district, and from two in Wakefield.

Paint is also collected from local retailers including Shipley Paints, Bradford-based Castle Shop Fitters, Focus Do It All, Dulux Decorator Centres and Leyland Paints.

Once collected, the paint goes through a strict sorting process to ensure it is suitable for re-use. It is then redistributed through local community and voluntary groups, charities and individuals in need, to use for redecoration jobs.

Due to the volume of stock, the project runs a membership scheme, with members from diverse range of organisations, including religious groups, schools, community centres, women's refuges, housing projects, arts groups, theatres, and sports clubs. Annual charges are on an affordable scale, depending upon how much paint is used during the first year of membership.

One organisation that repeatedly benefits is Bradford City Centre Project, a charity for young people in housing need. They use Community RePaint to supply paint to those moving into new accommodation, allowing tenants to choose the colours. This allows them to redecorate once they've moved in. The project provides a paint mixing service, so all tastes are catered for.

Says Karen: "This is diverting waste from landfill. It is also helping to give people pride in their surroundings and reduce antisocial behaviour. For instance, our paint has been used by volunteers to paint a community centre. Through this, people are meeting others and keeping themselves busy."

A future expansion of the project, run by paid staff and volunteers, is proposed. "We are looking to increase the number of sites and would like to go into Calderdale too," says Karen, adding: "The success of the collections has been thanks to the support of Bradford and Wakefield Council. Working together, we are not only protecting the environment but providing affordable paint to local communities and people in need."

Bettina Croft, personnel training advisor at Bradford City Centre Project said: "Community RePaint is invaluable to us. The young people we help would not be able to afford to buy brand new paint and by encouraging them to paint their own accommodation gives them a sense of ownership."

BCCP has also used the paint to decorate their own notice boards and turn a store room into a drop in' area for young people to use.

  • To find out more about donating unwanted paint or about how to get hold of paint for a redecoration project contact Karen Hutchinson on (01274) 737267 or e-mail bradrepaint1@tiscali.co.uk log onto communityrepaint.org For details of Keighley Furniture Project is on: (01535) 601999 or e-mail anne-sheriff@btconnect.com.