Re-use to count for the first time 

The FRN has welcomed government changes to waste targets which allows reuse tonnages to count towards council targets.  Before this change reuse, which is higher up the waste hierarchy than recycling, was excluded from council targets.  This gave the majority of councils an excuse not to support re-use charities even though they produce environmental and social benefits. 

Reuse has never had the recognition it deserves in its number 2 position in the Waste Hierarchy. It has often been dismissed as ‘too difficult to measure’, ‘difficult to define’ or ‘insignificant’.  However all that is about to change.

 The Government has just published technical guidance on the new local authority indicator set, which lays out how reuse of household materials can now be counted within the Recycling (and composting) Indicator NI 192.  It is also included within NI 191 residual waste not reused, recycled or composted.

 Caroline Lee-Smith, Development Officer for the FRN, said: “For the first time, from this April, local authorities have the power to count tonnages reused by the voluntary sector.  This has been a major obstacle to joint working over the years, as because they couldn’t count it many of our members have been excluded from aligning their services with local authority bulky waste services.  Now, including these tonnages could increase the recycling indicator by 0.1% for each average reuse organisation in an area*, higher if the organisation runs the council’s bulky waste service.”

 
The Department of Communities and Local Government guidance lays down 3 ways in which tonnages reused can be counted:

ü     Firstly, waste items in the possession of a WCA/WDA that are then sent for reuse.

ü     Secondly items for reuse separated by third parties on behalf of the WCA/WDA.

ü     Thirdly, items for which collection or disposal reuse credits are paid.

“This guidance enshrines the rights of reuse organisations to receive credits for both the collections they run, as well as the tonnage they save from disposal routes.  Currently, only a quarter of local authorities in England currently pay disposal reuse credits, while none pay reasonable collection credits.  I expect to see many more local authorities engaging with reuse organisations and contributing to the good work they do keeping bulky items from disposal.” Ms Lee-Smith said.

 
For information on setting up disposal or collection credits contact Caroline Lee-Smith at the FRN by email carolinels@frn.org.uk or phone 0117 954 3572.

 
* based on an average sized organisation reusing 100 tonnes per year and a local authority total household waste figure of 100,000 tonnes.

WCA = Waste Collection Authority

WDA = Waste Disposal Authority

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A pioneering project aimed at encouraging communities across the country to redistribute unwanted furniture to low-income families could help slash debt, create sustainable tenancies and save thousands of tonnes of household goods from being dumped in landfills.

The National Housing Federation and The Furniture Re-use Network have today launched a new booklet outlining how social landlords and their tenants can reap enormous benefits by teaming up with a local furniture re-use organisation (FRO).

The scheme hopes to significantly increase the 2.5 million items of recycled furniture and domestic appliances, which are sold to people on low incomes at knockdown prices every year.

Existing FROs are already helping to furnish 750,000 homes, saving 90,000 tonnes of useable goods from ending up in landfills in the process.

But the launch of the new project is expected to see those figures more than double for furniture and quadruple for white goods over the next two years.

The "Win-Win" handbook also details how housing providers can refer customers to the FROs, and how they can form or support these innovative community projects.

Under the schemes, unwanted, but good quality, furniture and appliances are collected directly from household doorsteps, local authorities and civic amenity sites.

Housing associations can then refer tenants to a re-use project, where they can pick out the furniture and white goods they need for their home.

On average the cost of buying household goods from a FRO is a third cheaper than those purchased from a second hand shop.

The housing associations are then invoiced for the goods, or the tenants pay through their own funds or by accessing grants. Credit unions also pay for goods in some instances.

The household goods - which have all been tested to meet  legal standards - are normally delivered within five days, for a nominal fee or often free of charge.

By offering good quality furniture and appliances at affordable rates, the projects help those on low incomes to set up home, and in the process bypass the need to borrow cash from door step lenders at extortionate interest rates.

Tenants free of large debts are less likely to fall behind with their rent and face the threat of eviction, helping to build a more settled and sustainable community.

For new tenants moving into a property after being homeless, in care or living in temporary accommodation, the FROs can also improve their chances of settling quickly into their new surroundings.

Starter packs, containing key items like bedding, crockery, cutlery and curtains, help transform a house into a home and build sustainable tenancies.

Many FROs have a long track record of encouraging those out of work to volunteer on the projects - boosting their skills, confidence and employment prospects.

Fly-tipping and the amount of furniture ending up rotting in landfill sites are also dramatically reduced thanks to the schemes.

Nick Powell, finance policy leader at the Federation, said: "Housing associations and their tenants can achieve enormous benefits by working in partnership with these projects, which help those most in need, on fixed or low incomes, to keep their heads above water financially by offering good quality furniture and electrical appliances at affordable rates."

"In addition to tackling financial exclusion, reuse also encourages wider use of recycled furniture, and in the process saves thousands of tonnes of household goods from being dumped in landfill."

Paul Smith, chief executive of the FRN, said: "Partnership between housing associations and re-use projects is an excellent way to ensure that tenants can have a home rather than just a tenancy. By working together we can reduce people's debt, help sustain their tenancy and provide an environmentally sustainable service"

The 32-page booklet is being sent out to National Housing Federation's 1300 members, along with 2,000 flyers which will promote the publication at events throughout the country during the year.

It marks the first major project between the Federation and the FRN, who have joined forces in a bid to reduce social exclusion and to provide good quality advice and guidance to their members.

The booklet is available to download here or if hard copies are required, from the Federation’s Bristol office. Tel: 0117 907 5333

 FRN team up with Missionfish to empty the cupboards

The Furniture Re-use Network today launched a page dedicated to selling items on eBay which have been collected by re-use charities.

Many re-use charities find that bric-a-brac and other collectable items fill a lonely and abandoned corner of their warehouses.  The FRN has partnered up with EBay for Charity organisation MissionFish to create an on-line shopping mall to help make these items available to the general public.

Nick Aldridge, CEO of MissionFish, said, “EBay for Charity is the perfect channel for turning in-kind donations into cash. I hope our partnership with FRN will show eBay for Charity’s potential for recycling and re-use charities.”

Paul Smith, Chief Executive of the FRN commented, “We want these items to collect money rather than dust for our member groups.  Hording these items in the hope that one day they will find a home is not re-use.  This partnership can also bring knowledge of our members’ services to a wider on-line community”.

A link to the page can be found at www.ebay.co.uk/charity.

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Dixons Stores Group, DHL and the FRN join forces for the benefit of re-users and retailers 

A major new WEEE (waste electronics and electrical equipment) alliance between the UK’s largest electrical retailer, the world’s largest logistics company and the UK’s social economy re-use sector has been launched to increase the amount of discarded electrical items that are reused.  

Dixons Stores Group (DSGi) and DHL have agreed an alliance with FRN (Furniture Re-use Network) for the reuse of WEEE collected by DSGi’s nationwide “takeback-on-delivery” service. Each of DSGi’s 14 regional distribution centres across the UK are now partnered with an Approved Re-use Centre (ARC) through FRN Enterprises Ltd (FRN’s trading subsidiary) and each centre is reusing between 70 and 200 WEEE items per week. The arrangement will result in more than 100,000 electrical items a year being reused.

DSGi and DHL have taken this step to encourage re-use. Sarah Geddes Operations Director for Group Reverse Logistics of DSGi said:

“Since the introduction of the WEEE legislation in July, we have been keen to play an active role in encouraging customers to recycle their old electrical items responsibly.  The formation of this alliance is important as it enables us to encourage reuse and enhance the good reputation of the Dixons Group.”    

DSGi delivery staff will in future ask customers whether the product they are replacing is still functional and if so they will inform customers that the item will be reused by the local FRN organisation for social benefit. Labelling of these items will allow the distribution site staff to sort the returned items (refrigeration, cookers, washers and TVs) into items that that can be diverted for re-use and those to be sent for recycling. FRN’s 14 Approved Re-use Centres will collect reusable WEEE from DSGi’s Home Delivery sites. 

Sarah Geddes stated that: “This type of service is a great way of demonstrating our company’s real commitment to the environment and shows that we take issues of corporate and social responsibility very seriously.  This approach enables DSGi to play our part as a responsible high street retailer and also to help our customers who often want to do the right thing when it comes to caring for the planet.”

DHL is the logistics provider to DSGi and manages the WEEE collection and recycling service for the group. Sean Hodges, Head of Environmental Solutions at DHL said:

“What’s so exciting about this project is how it shows that benefiting local communities and delivering real corporate responsibility need not be costly.  By utilizing the existing supply chain infrastructure, we have been able to implement an efficient reverse logistics solution that is environmentally friendly in terms of reduced road miles, fuel use and emissions.”

Craig Anderson of FRN Enterprises Ltd said:

“We see this as a strong endorsement of our members’ services by both DSGi and DHL; since July we have worked together to design and implement a mutually agreeable re-use service that involves the commitment and action of all parties.  This type of structured approach is maximising the amount of electrical and electronic appliances that can be reused through a nationally prescribed agreement dovetailing with local relations between site operators and reusers”.

“We estimate that this partnership will generate at least 100,000 quality assured appliances a year for our members to distribute to the UK’s excluded consumers. As the FRN membership is supplying to people who cannot afford to purchase new items, re-use through our sector avoids any competition with new sales and therefore compliments the work of Dixons Stores Group whilst helping the company achieve WEEE compliance in partnership with DHL.”. 

Through FRN Enterprises, the FRN has developed a nationwide re-use and logistics network of certified facilities known as ARCs. These sites offer a “hub & spoke” infrastructure to aid collection, sortation, bulking up and onward transportation of WEEE while centralising repair and re-use capacity for distribution to the wider re-use sector.

Councils dump 10 million re-usable items of furniture every year 

Over 10 million reusable items of furniture are sent to landfill by local authorities every year - almost 30,000 items every day - revealed a study by The Furniture Re-use Network (FRN) recently.  

In a speech to Sheffield Hallam University's Centre for Sustainable Consumption on 20^th September, Paul Smith, Chief Executive of the FRN, appealed to local authorities to change their processes.  He explained, “Some Councils have shown the way by introducing bulky re-use collections or setting up charity shops and workshops on civic amenity sites.  We are calling upon all local authorities and their waste management partners to adopt this approach.”  Over half a million tonnes of ‘waste’ could be diverted from landfill. “Coupled with a proper implementation of the WEEE Directive we could save 17 million items for re-use each year”.   

One of the barriers to re-use is the increasing amount of furniture made from low quality materials that are not robust and therefore have a significantly shorter life.  Smith is also calling on the Government to introduce an environmental tax on these goods with the proceeds being used to support re-use and recycling.  

“The Government is looking at ways to reduce waste and the production of goods designed to have a short life from non-reusable materials is an environmental disaster.  The FRN would like to see producer responsibility extended to these environmentally damaging goods with at least some of the revenue directed towards third sector re-use and recycling activities.”  

Paul Smith, FRN – 07870 506 766 

pauls@frn.org.uk 

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Homeless get a SPA 

Starter Packs Association will assist people to establish a home

The Furniture Re-use Network today launched the Starter Packs Association to support the development of starter packs schemes across the country.  In London this work is already being spearheaded by the Christian charity Housing Justice. 
 
Starter Packs typically provide people moving into their first home with household items such as bedding, crockery, cutlery, curtains and other things needed to turn a property into a home.  

Sarah Findlay, coordinator of Starter Packs Glasgow stated, "Starter Packs projects are a great way to allow the community to access a re-use facility for their unwanted and un-needed household goods - diversion from landfill with fantastic social benefits! Every city, town or rural community should have a Starter Packs project".  

Housing Justice hosted an event in London to increase activity in the Capital. Judith Maizel-Long, Director of External Affairs added, “Housing Justice supports church responses to people who are homeless or rebuilding their lives after experiencing homelessness. Starter Packs are a practical and proven way to help people at the critical stage of moving into independent accommodation, sometimes for the first time, and churches and community groups working together are ideally placed to provide this help. Housing Justice is very pleased to support the new Starter Packs Association”.  

Paul Smith, Chief Executive of the FRN commented, “Our members provide people on low incomes with affordable furniture and domestic appliances.  Some already run starter packs schemes as a natural extension to their work.  A cooker is not much use without pots, pans, crockery and cutlery and a bed needs bedding.  The FRN will act as a focus for the new association to link existing re-use organisations with communities and congregations wishing to provide this service”.

Any organisation wishing to join the SPA, which is free, should email Paul Smith on pauls@frn.org.uk or call the FRN on 0845 602 8003

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Re-use Counts

 Charity body welcomes waste strategy for England

The Furniture Re-use Network has warmly welcomed the Government’s new Waste Strategy for England.  The top objective states that the Government will “put more emphasis on waste prevention and re-use”.

 The strategy includes a number of measures to increase the re-use of goods, which is environmentally more beneficial than recycling.  These measures include: counting re-use within local authority recycling targets and an emphasis on re-use within household bulky waste services.

 Approaches are also being put in place to support an expanded role for the third sector in the delivery of public sector waste services, especially in relation to including social clauses in contracts.

 Paul Smith, Chief Executive of the Furniture Re-use Network, said “We are delighted that DEFRA has listened to the representations we have made over the last year.  We believe that the third sector is ready to take on an expanded role in delivering high quality, customer focused services which maximise re-use and will also play a significant role in reducing poverty and social exclusion.”

 He added “We look forward to working with DEFRA, WRAP and local authorities in turning the words in the strategy into practical local action”.

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Children are denied basic household items -charity calls for Government initiative to tackle material deprivation

Government research into Child poverty in the UK shows that large proportions of the poorest households can not afford basic items such as electrical appliances and decent furniture.  In total 4 million children are deprived of decent furniture and 3 million of working electrical appliances. This builds upon the UNICEF study earlier in the year showing British children to be the most deprived in the western world.

Among the poorest 20% of families 53% could not afford to replace worn out furniture and 42% could not afford to replace or repair broken electrical items.  Paul Smith, Chief Executive of the Furniture Re-use Network whose members help ½ million low income households each year commented “It is astounding that such a large proportion of our population can not afford basic items such as washing machines, fridges, sofas and beds.  These are items that most of us take for granted.  Furniture re-use organisations which supply these items to low income families receive little or no support from the Government to meet these needs.  We would happily participate in a Government taskforce to look specifically at the issue of material deprivation and how it can be tackled.”

 Commenting on the UNICEF study Paul asked noted, “The issues raised by the study included the lack of social interaction within British households.  This is reflected in the work of our members who are finding that the demand for dining tables has dropped dramatically.”

 The re-use of goods no longer wanted and the repair of items that would otherwise be discarded also plays an important role in reducing landfill and greenhouse gases as part of the drive to tackle climate change.

GOVERNMENT WEEE REGULATIONS BOOST FOR RE-USE SECTOR

The UK’s re-use sector is set to become a central and essential element of the WEEE infrastructure due to the Government’s decision to include WEEE sent for authorised re-use as whole appliances to be included in the evidence producers need to discharge their obligations under the UK’s WEEE system.

The Furniture Re-use Network believes this major clarification will result in new partnerships between manufacturers and the charity re-use sector that will result in economic and social benefits for re-users, producers and many low income households in Britain .

Producer Compliance Schemes are keen to maximise reuse of whole appliances and the FRN now expects this to be intensified as Producer’s see the economic benefits of being able to provide evidence of such re-use to satisfy their market share obligations.

Craig Anderson of the FRN said “This landmark decision in favour of the re-use sector will result in huge benefit for the UK ’s socially excluded. Now, after seven long years of working with the Government at a UK and EU level, we are delighted to see the UK WEEE system puts re-use at its core.”

Mr Anderson went on to explain that “With the advent of being able to count re-use within the evidence system, plus the requirement of only approved re-use being accepted, we will now have a level playing field for premiership re-use operators . Based on our knowledge of how the Directive has been transposed in other EU member states, I think we can categorically say that the UK has offered the strongest support and endorsement for re-use of whole appliances of any country.”

The FRN suggests that Producer Schemes will now be given credit for supporting such re-use and will be able to use evidence of such activity in meeting their obligations, thereby encouraging re-use and complying with the fundamental aim of the Directive.

Paul Smith, FRN Chief Executive said “Our sector can now be assured of increasing the quality and throughput of electrical goods for re-use through concrete and mutually beneficial partnerships with those responsible for managing WEEE in the UK. We estimate that this decision will secure at least half a million quality assured appliances a year for our members to distribute to households in need.”

Mr Smith went on to say “The FRN is extremely pleased by the Government’s decision that embraces the core criteria for sustainable development and shows its ability to ‘join the dots’ between environmental, economic and social policy. This is a triumph for joined up thinking.”

FRN currently has 175 members that re-use whole electrical and electronic equipment and FRN is co-ordinating the development of a UK-wide re-use and logistics network of facilities known as ARCs. Around 30 of these sites will offer a “hub & spoke” infrastructure to aid collection, sortation, bulking up and onward transportation of WEEE while centralising repair and re-use capacity for distribution to the local re-use sector.

In addition, FRN is developing its own accreditation and kitemark system to give assurances to Producer Compliance Schemes and others on the quality and competencies of its members’ re-use services.

Contacts:
Craig Anderson:
0117 954 3571 (Main office)
07968 729208
craiga@frn.org.uk

Paul Smith:
0117 954 3571 (main office)
07870 506 766
pauls@frn.org.uk

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GUIDE TO RE-USE CREDITS LAUNCHED

A briefing paper for local authorities on how to set up a re-use credits system has been issued by LARAC, the FRN and WRAP.

Further to the Government-issued Guidance on re-use credits in April 2006, the briefing paper aims to simplify this and provide a practical guide for local authorities and their voluntary sector partners, mainly furniture re-use charities, to ensure that a credits system is properly set up.

Caroline Lee-Smith, Development Officer at the FRN explains: “I receive numerous requests from local authorities for advice on how to set up re-use credits, as furniture re-use organisations tend to be the major recipients of these credits. We wrote this guide to set out current best practice. It includes generic forms for local use to make the process as simple as possible.”

In addition to the 85,000 tonnes that furniture re-use charities currently divert from disposal, there are an estimated additional 250,000 tonnes of furniture and white goods disposed of each year in the UK which could be re-used. LARAC (Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee) and WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) have both lent their support to the development of the briefing paper in recognition of the important role re-use has in the waste hierarchy. To date, 17 local authorities have already set up re-use credits to encourage the diversion of bulky items from disposal and support the community sector, and 12 more are currently considering it.

Stuart Hammond, Waste Policy & Recycling Manager at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, one council which already has a credits system in place, sees the benefits:

“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.”

Click here to download the briefing paper

Or contact Caroline Lee-Smith at the FRN

Tel: 0117 954 3572

Email carolinels@frn.org.uk

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GOVERNMENT MINISTER BACKS RE-USE

Over 200 delegates from 100 different UK wide organisations witnessed Government Minister for DEFRA, The Rt Hon Ben Bradshaw MP, enter into a fascinating dialogue with the audience concerning re-use, a vital signal of the UK’s green credentials.

The Furniture Re-Use Network’s (FRN) 2006 Conference in Sutton Coldfield featured key note speeches from prominent individuals including the Government Minister who promised a number of measures to boost the funding for re-use organisations including investigation of financial benefits for councils working with re-use charities, a ministerial letter to local authorities not paying re-use credits and a review of recycling targets to include re-use.

Paul Smith, Chief Executive of the FRN , commented: “Ben Bradshaw’s approach was welcomed by the delegates as he showed that he was prepared to both listen to their concerns and act upon them.

“We will be providing him with more detailed information over the next week and hope to see re-use given a strong emphasis in the forthcoming waste strategy,” added Paul.

The FRN has 290 members and is the largest network of third sector organisations involved in waste in the UK . The FRN’s objective is ‘to relieve persons who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress by the provision of facilities, advice and information that will develop, establish and assist furniture recycling charities.”

Ends

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FURNITURE DEAL BIDS TO CUT FLY-TIPPING

A bid to cut down on fly-tipping and help residents save money on furniture was getting under way today.

A new partnership between the National Housing Federation and the Furniture Re-use Network was being launched in Andover , Hampshire, at the first birthday party of Twice As Nice - the award winning furniture recycling scheme set up by Testway Housing.

Twice As Nice takes good quality second hand furniture and recycles it to new owners at bargain prices. The new partnership between the Federation, the trade body for England’s 1,400 housing associations, and the Furniture Re-use Network, which represents the UK’s 400 furniture and appliance re-use organisations, aims to make schemes like Twice As Nice more widespread throughout the housing association sector.

Derek Cash, head of the Federation’s south region, said at the launch of the national partnership: ‘‘For many people decent furniture is what makes a house a home, but we know that people on low incomes find it hard to afford - especially if they can’t get credit. At the same time, a lot of unwanted but perfectly salvageable furniture is being dumped either legally or illegally. That’s why we’re so supportive of Twice As Nice, which gives furniture a new lease of life, and it’s why we are teaming up with the Furniture Re-use Network. We’ll be working together to help housing associations either to set up their own furniture recycling schemes or to support existing schemes by encouraging residents to access them.’’

Paul Smith , chief executive of the Furniture Re-use Network, said: ‘‘The Network shares the Federation’s goals for reducing poverty and we hope that through working together, we can help over a million households per year gain access to furniture, white goods and the other essential elements of living. We hope our joint action will reduce household debt, improve people’s standard of living and help to tackle climate change. ‘Twice As Nice is an excellent example of how housing associations play a wider role in society.’’

Steve Benson, managing director of Testway Housing, said: ‘‘Twice As Nice has been extremely successful. In its first year, we’ve sold or taken donations from over 900 households and diverted 40 tonnes of furniture from landfill sites. There is a real need for this kind of project in our area and I have no doubt there’s a similar need around the country.’’

end

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The following press release was issued on 16 November 2006

REPIC and FRN join forces for the benefit of re-users and producers

A major new WEEE partnership between manufacturers and the community sector has been announced by REPIC and FRN; a partnership that will result in economic and social benefits for both re-users and producers.

REPIC the not for profit company formed and owned by over 60 of the major producers of electrical and electronic equipment in the UK has agreed an alliance with FRN (Furniture Re-use Network) as a national partner for the reuse and collection of WEEE.

REPIC has taken this proactive step ahead of the implementation of the WEEE Directive in the UK as part of the ongoing process of preparation for full implementation which is expected next July.

REPIC and its members are keen to maximise reuse of appliances as required by the Directive. Commenting on the announcement Dr Phil ip Morton , Chief Executive of REPIC said “Reuse is important for our members, they fully support the concept and it provides affordable access to essential items for individuals and families that would otherwise be excluded, it already forms part of our members’ social and corporate responsibility activities”.

“FRN is clearly an experienced operation and its members many sites provide an opportunity to be part of REPIC’s national network of reuse/consolidation centres. By linking the economic, social and environmental benefits together we plan to minimise transport costs, maximise reuse and minimise waste. We believe everyone should benefit from a low cost environmentally sound coordinated programme.”

Craig Anderson of the FRN said “We see this as a strong endorsement by REPIC, we have worked closely together for the last three years. This type of structured approach should maximise the amount of electrical and electronic appliances that can be reused or refurbished by our network of authorised reuse operators, while supporting REPIC’s WEEE collection responsibilities”.

“We estimate that this partnership will generate at least half a million quality assured appliances a year for our members to distribute to the UK ’s excluded consumers.”

The FRN is co-ordinating the development of a nationwide re-use and logistics network of facilities known as ARCs. These sites will offer a “hub & spoke” infrastructure to aid collection, sortation, bulking up and onward transportation of WEEE while centralising repair and re-use capacity for distribution to the local re-use sector.

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FRN issued the following press release in August 2006

Energy Minister visits specialist WEEE collection centre

 Malcolm Wicks, the Energy Minister responsible for the UK’s adoption of the WEEE Directive, on Friday visited one of the voluntary and community sector’s specialised WEEE collection and re-use facilities.

 Mr Wicks - who recently declared an interest in improving his understanding of what is required to successfully implement Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment in the UK - was pleased to find Croydon ARC - a major WEEE facility - was successfully running in his own constituency.

Croydon ARC (originally set-up as a partnership between Croydon Council, London Community Recycling Network and the Furniture Re-use Network) is part of the FRN’s co-ordinated development of a nationwide re-use and logistics network.

The national network of ARCs (appliance reuse centre’s) will be part of national “hub & spoke” infrastructure to aid collection, sortation, bulking up and onward transportation of WEEE while centralising repair and re-use capacity for distribution to the local re-use sector.

 “Facilities like Croydon ARC will act as transfer stations for all types of WEEE and distribution centres for reusable products.” said Craig Anderson, Development Manager at the FRN.

The Minister was given a technical tour of Croydon ARC and shown how WEEE will be consolidated and sorted; ensuring WEEE transportation will be efficient and economic. It was also key to demonstrate to the Minister how Croydon ARC will separate reusable WEEE through an accredited repair and testing process.

The Minister said, “The Government is keen to see the involvement of the voluntary and community sector in electrical and electronic goods recycling maintained in the future. We would like to see producer compliance schemes developing and building relationships with re-use and refurbishment organisations.”

Croydon ARC is actively looking to secure further contracts to service Local Authority and Business WEEE collection sites across the South East. Croydon ARC’s Manager Ray Barwick, explains they are not restricting themselves to re-use, but are offering full clearance of WEEE. “We need to offer the whole service, taking away everything through a professional and efficient transport system. Once we have that control, we can separate anything that is reusable to provide to low income families in the area. This is a niche area of WEEE that the ARCs are well suited for.”

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FRN issued the following press release in June 2006

New guide shows way for Bulky Waste

A guide on how to run a sustainable public service for items too big to fit into people’s bins has been published by the Furniture Re-use Network (FRN). You know bulky waste can be re-used and recycled, but how should it be done? Bulky Basics is an essential and practical guide to turning a bulky waste service into a bulky re-use and recycling service, including assessing its true cost. It is the result of a year-long research project which has examined existing bulky waste services around the country, including innovative areas where re-use and recycling is already happening.

LARAC has welcomed the manual

“ Bulky Basics is an excellent and really comprehensive piece of work. It is packed with essential ‘how to’ information rather than theories and I'm sure that both local authorities and furniture groups will find it a real help in guiding them through the practicalities of setting up bulky waste re-use and recycling schemes.” Joy Blizzard, LARAC Communications Officer .

Linda Crichton ROTATE Manager at WRAP agrees, “Bulky Basics is a useful and practical guide for local authorities that are considering developing bulky waste collection services either for themselves or with the community sector. There is a lot of practical detail ranging from scripts for call centre staff to highlighting health and safety issues to how to cost a service.”

Furniture re-use organisations are experts in taking care of bulky items and protecting their value to pass on to people in need. Their entire operation is set up to retain and restore the value of items, notably by entering the householders’ property, taking care of items during collection and transit, and testing, repairing and refurbishing any potentially re-usable items. All organisations involved in bulky waste – household collections and at CA sites – will find this manual useful for both assessing their current service and improving it to maximise re-use. Amongst other things it sets out:

• Potential partnership scenarios
• Policies and other documentation required
• Resources and waste licensing requirements
• How to cost up a new service
• Procedures for each step of the process
• Monitoring and reporting guidelines

Caroline Lee-Smith, the author of Bulky Basics, commented, “The FRN is working to improve the quantity and quality of public services our members can offer. This manual will enable furniture re-use organisations to offer a high standard of service to local authorities to collect and re-use bulky items and has the potential to radically change bulky waste practices around the UK . As well as diverting items from landfill, through processing an increased number of items, furniture re-use organisations will also increase their contribution to their local communities – combatting social exclusion by assisting local people into employment and providing basic household items to people on low incomes. In this way, the value of items from the waste stream is used for the benefit of local communities.”

Partnerships incorporating re-use into bulky waste services could change the face of bulky waste in the UK as we know it. And since “Bulky waste and e-waste are the fastest growing waste streams...” John Burns, Director, Waste Implementation Programme, Defra (‘ Taking waste seriously’, The Loop, Autumn 2005 ) this is one waste stream that deserves our attention now. The Manual ‘Bulky Basics’ was funded from the DEFRA Waste Partnership Fund and developed in partnership with the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC) and Network Recycling.

TO PLACE AN ORDER
To order a copy of Bulky Basics, please print off and complete an order form, using the link below.
Please enclose a cheque for payment, as detailed on the form, made payable to the "Furniture Re-use Network". Completed forms should be returned to FRN at the address below.

Order Form - Click here to open

Send completed forms to:
FRN
48 - 54 West Street
St. Philips
Bristol
BS2 0BL

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FRN issued the following press release in April 2006

FRN APPRECIATES CREDIT GIVEN TO RE-USE

Furniture Re-use Network welcomes new Guidance on the Recycling Credit Scheme

 Following today’s publication of Defra’s new “Guidance on the Recycling Credit Scheme”; the FRN welcomes the Government’s support for third party recyclers and for its recognition for the work of Re-users. The 400+ furniture and appliance re-use organisations in England can now look forward to a financial incentive for the items they have been diverting from disposal for the last 20 years.

Craig Anderson of the FRN welcomed Defra’s findings, stating “All credit to Defra for this timely recognition and support for our sector.” 

Craig went on to explain that “Quite a few local authorities have historically supported our members by paying a recycling credit for their activity of avoiding disposal, but this has been limited to a few beacon councils. Now, finally more of our members will be recognised for their contribution to reducing waste. The FRN will now be actively monitoring how Local Authorities across the country are implementing the revised scheme.”

The FRN’s main hurdle in seeking to have re-use recognised within the credit scheme has been in countering the argument that re-use merely delays the inevitable disposal of the item. The FRN’s argument was that this was no different to recycling in the context of glass bottles for example. “We need to look at this in the same way as for any material recycling. A bottle recycled today will be another bottle for recycling tomorrow, until eventually it ends up in the waste stream for disposal......that’s inevitable.” Re-use of an item could have a second-life of 5 to 10 years. In this time the same glass or paper would have been recycled a number of times until it is discarded. This argument against re-use had no validation, and was illogical. Thankfully the Government understood this.

The FRN will now be developing briefing papers for its members, to help them in their local negotiations with their Waste Disposal Authority.

For Further information contact:
Craig Anderson
Development Manager, FRN
Tel: 0117 954 3571
craiga@frn.org.uk

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The following press release was issued in December 2005:

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New set of average weights for furniture and appliances

The Furniture Re-use Network (FRN) has updated its average weights list. The list is more comprehensive than ever before, including items that had previously been missed out and breaking items down into different types, such as differentiating between cane conservatory-style sofas and regular household sofas. There are also listings for bathroom, garden, office and other bulky waste items which will inform bulky waste analysis work.

Caroline Lee-Smith, Development Officer for the FRN, comments that

“It has been commonly acknowledged that the existing set of standard weights was somewhat restrictive and the weight of some items were under-estimated. As the work on the Bulky Waste Best Practice Guidance started, I realised that this was causing groups a problem when it comes to estimating increased tonnages for funders, as weighbridge tickets were coming in with higher figures than those estimated.

The list is vastly improved, although I admit it could be even more accurate if a comprehensive piece of research was carried out to weigh a large sample of items over a period of time. However, for now I hope this goes some way to providing everyone with more accurate figures.”

The FRN analysed figures from 10 different sources. The main source of figures came from the “horses mouth”: furniture re-use organisations up and down the country that have weighed a range of items coming through their premises.

One such organisation is Essential Needs in Harrogate . Martin Brassington, the Project Manager explains

“Increasingly we are finding that the amount of goods that we are diverting from landfill is becoming one of the major benchmarks even though we are more concerned with social exclusion than with waste. What we do is have a “warehouse weighing session” once in a while - weigh all the items in the warehouse, add everything up and divide it out to get an average, and then review this with the weights that are in the database. Obviously if we haven't weighed many of the same items the "average" is going to be less reliable, but generally the weights will become increasingly reliable as each new input of adjustments are made. I’m glad the FRN is updating their average list as our local authority is setting up a re-use credits system and they will base it on this new improved list

Helen Mellor, Community Waste Management Officer, North Yorkshire County Council agrees

“ The community sector plays a vital role in the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste materials in North Yorkshire . The sector divert significant tonnages of re-usable items from landfill and up until now the sector have not been rewarded. We have recently launched our Third Party Re-use Credit Scheme which we hope will go some way to re-numerate the community sector for their contribution, not only to waste but also to social and economic agendas. This piece of work is very timely as the system we are putting in place relies on having an accurate list of average weights.”

Other sources of weight information used in the research included manufacturers weights, shipping weights, and standard items used by the UEA (Union Européenne de l’Ameublement) – the European Furniture Manufacturers Federation. One list was supplied by CRN Scotland. Linsay Chalmers, Furniture Projects Coordinator for CRNS explains that “when Transforming Waste (the Scottish version of CRED) was launched, there was general agreement that the weights on the FRN list were too low and we didn't want to tie our projects into a system that was going to undervalue them. The white goods weights are standards given to us by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the furniture list was put together for us by one of our projects which has scales.

 We welcome the FRN’s new list as projects, funders, environmental regulatory bodies and Local Authorities all need to know the true tonnages diverted from landfill by this work.”

The list is available to download from the FRN website (www.frn.org.uk) and Discussions Board.

With the aim of moving waste re-use up the waste and policy agenda, the work will:

• Include the publication of Best Practice Guidance for community re-use organisations

• Offer ongoing assistance to groups currently negotiating partnerships

• Undertake research into the costs and benefits of contracting out the bulky waste service, to determine the true value of setting up these partnerships.

Furniture re-use organisations operate in a fundamentally different way to current local authority services notably by entering the householders’ property, taking care to retain the value of items during collection and transit, and testing, repairing and passing on any potentially reusable items. Partnerships between local authorities and furniture re-use organisations could change the face of bulky waste services in the UK as we know it.

Caroline Lee-Smith, the FRN’s Development Officer managing the project, comments that “This project gives the FRN the opportunity to pull together all the pioneering work that has gone before, including various consultancy projects, plus it will take the next step to radically change bulky waste practices. The community re-use sector can offer local authorities great benefits, including delivering a high standard of bulky waste service, assisting local people into employment and providing people on low incomes with basic household items. We aim to set out the national standards and specific codes of practice that our members will work to, offering reliable and auditable ways of re-using and recycling items and facilitating partnerships.”

This project fits with the FRN’s overarching aim of setting up national standards for its members so that potential partners can be assured of a high quality, transparent operation.

“Local authority bulky waste collection and reception services in the UK are currently facing a number of challenges. These include changes that will be necessary following the implementation of the European Union Restriction Of Hazardous Substances and Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directives and the pending introduction of a Best Value Performance Indicator for re-use. In addition central government are encouraging local authorities to set up cross-sector partnerships, especially in the procurement of public services. This project will assist local authorities not just in setting up partnerships but also in being able to satisfy their legal obligations with regard to consumer protection and Duty of Care.”

Ruth Evans, Recycling Officer, Cheshire County Council

“As one of a number of projects trying to enter into agreements with our local authority for bulky waste collections we have been in need of support and advice that can now be offered by the FRN. The processes involved in dealing with LAs are very different from working with the general public. Having access to information and documentation will be invaluable. We have luckily had a very good initial response from our local authority who are keen to reduce the number of re-useable items going to landfill but will need guidance on setting up Service Level Agreements and contracts. Having the facility to go into meetings armed and prepared will be hugely beneficial. If we, and other projects, can get this right we have the opportunity to not only gain access to vital items of furniture and electrical goods, but to enable us to provide more volunteer and work placements and potentially give us an additional income stream.”

Emma Mahy, Project Manager, Dorcas New Forest Furniture Project