Generous Scottish Borders
Minimising your waste can have wider benefits than you might expect. By donating to or buying from charity shops you will
be raising money for good causes – and at the same time contributing to reuse and recycling as well.
Across the Borders there are thousands of modern and vintage items on sale in forty plus charity shops. By shopping in these stores, you give a second lease of life to quality items and it means that those things do not go straight to landfill where they add to the damage being done to the environment.
In the case of books, not only are books reused by someone else – making money for the charity in the process – but now they are fully recycled if no-one wants to buy them.
Bookdonors, the Selkirk-based community interest company which, sells unwanted books on the Internet for charities and gives away books to community groups, fully recycles any books it cannot reuse. It has secured funding from the Scottish Government’s Strategic Waste Fund for the books it sends for recycling. In addition those books will be included in the Scottish Borders recycling rate calculations.
Shopping in charity shops is not the only way you can help: volunteering can often be the most generous decision. Without volunteers, charities would not be able to generate as much money as they do for good causes, or provide much needed services to people in need. Of course, by volunteering your time to help at charity shops or reuse projects you are also helping reuse and recycling.
Charity Guide
Charity shops and reuse projects are a great way to make sure your unwanted items get a new lease of life instead of ending up in landfill. Use our Generous Scottish Borders charity guide to locate the most appropriate shop to offer your donation to. It’s also handy if you are planning your next shopping trip as it lists charity shops across the Borders.
- Buy it: There are thousands of modern and vintage items on sale in charity shops every week
- Sell it: Use your skills and time to help charities by volunteering
- Donate it: Pass on your good quality unwanted items for charity and support reuse and recycling to reduce your carbon footprint.
Do's and Don'ts
Do:
- Contact the charity to check it can accept your donation, especially if it is large, heavy or unusual.
- Check your donations are clean, undamaged and functional
- Pack fragile items so that they do not get damaged before they're sold
- Check opening hours
Don't:
- Donate anything that is damaged, broken or stained
- Donate Furniture or toys without safety labels (except antiques)
- Donate goods that the charity does not sell
If your goods are unsuitable for a charity, they could avoid landfill by being recycled elsewhere, such as at Community Recycling Centres.
Generous Scottish Borders
Working with ChangeWorks, the Council has published a pullout guide to charity shops in the Scottish Borders. If you live in the Borders you will have received a copy of the guide inside your leaflet about waste and recycling services delivered in February 2008. You can download the Generous Scottish Borders charity guide here.
Contact us
Telephone Helpline: 01835 825128
Email: The Recycling Team
By post: The Recycling Team, Scottish Borders Council, Newtown St Boswells, Melrose, TD6 0SA
Thank you for helping us get it sorted.
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