Hull City Council is celebrating after an innovative recycling partnership was highly commended at a prestigious awards ceremony.
The partnership, between Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Dove House Hospice and FCC Environment, has led to the creation of a new Reuse Electricals shop in Marfleet Lane, Hull, selling large domestic appliances. The shop has so far diverted more than 1,100 large appliances for reuse.
This collaboration has now been highly commended for Best Partnership at the prestigious Larac (Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee) Awards 2022.
The project works by FCC site attendants speaking to residents who bring electrical items to Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and determining whether they are suitable for reuse.
Local charity Dove House Hospice then collects the appliances, before testing, repairing and deep cleaning them to get them ready for sale at the Reuse shops. Goods not suitable for repair are used for spare parts in the refurbishment of other items.
Proceeds from the shops go towards supporting Dove House Hospice.
Councillor Julia Conner, Portfolio Holder for Environment at Hull City Council, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the work that’s gone into setting up the Reuse Electricals shop, and giving it a long-term future.
“Every piece of equipment reused means less waste is going to landfill, and we’re using less of our planet’s precious resources unnecessarily.
“And at a time when every penny counts for hard-pressed households, we want to help with the rising cost of living. This scheme, as well as recycling usable goods, will help people access perfectly good household goods at much reduced prices.”
FCC Environment manages and operates 13 HWRCs on behalf of HCC and ERYC and works in partnership with Dove House Hospice to manage the established Humberfield Reuse Shop in Hessle.
Small electrical items and TVs are sold at this shop, but large domestic appliances such as fridge-freezers had not previously been targeted.
Anyone who has items to donate for sale can request a free collection at hull.gov.uk/reuse-shop.
For more information, visit the bins and recycling page on the Hull City Council website.
