Posted on the 22nd April 2022
Earth Day is all about taking action to ensure a better and brighter future for all. Today, on Earth Day, we are excited to announce our strategic partnership with Viridor who will be investing in Reuse Network to help develop the reuse sector and push reuse even further up the agenda.
Viridor is one of the UK’s leading resource and waste management companies, and with a focus on looking after tomorrow, Viridor’s message is simple – to build a world where nothing goes to waste. When the team from Viridor got in touch to explore how it could support the reuse sector, we knew it would be the perfect partnership for our charity and network of members.
Each year Earth Day is celebrated on April 22, and its creators are on a mission to ‘diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide, all year long’. Although the climate emergency is hitting headlines across the world, there is a lot more that needs to be done to ensure that a more sustainable future is achieved.
Much has changed since the first ever Earth Day celebration back in 1970. As awareness grows of our impact on the planet, communities across the world are mobilising to create change. Expanding from a demonstration of 20 million Americans, the movement now engages around 1 billion people each year worldwide.
The theme of this year’s Earth Day is ‘Invest in our planet’ and campaigners are encouraging us to think twice about where we invest our time, money and resources. Earth Day empowers us to take active steps to protect our environment by supporting organisations who are making a real difference in communities across the country to tackle climate change and support others in creating a more sustainable home for themselves.
Our partnership with Viridor further cements its investment in the top of the waste hierarchy which places reuse as one of the most favoured options above recycling, recovery and landfill. The investment will be used to support our charity and network of members who continue to work tirelessly in communities across the country to provide access to affordable items for those on a low-income.
This year, set against the backdrop of COP26, and the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, Earth Day 2022 is urging us all to work together to deepen our impact and build a more sustainable future for all.
Building on the shared values held by Viridor and Reuse Network, we will look to support one another through a strategic partnership that will turn opportunity into action as we embrace a collaborative style of working. By working together as one team, we hope to push reuse further up the agenda to ensure the message of reuse for environmental and social change is heard by all.
Each year, millions of items are sent to landfill sites across the country, and many of these items could be reused and provided to people in crisis. By working together, we will continue
Despite external constraints, the reuse sector continues to step up to ensure that everyone has access to affordable household items to enable them to create a sustainable home. Last year, the reuse sector as a whole reused 1.5 million furniture and electrical items, helping 652,098 households save £188.5 million compared to buying these items new. By reusing these items, the reuse sector prevented 50,574 tonnes of products from being wasted which saved 54,355 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Wondering how you can take action this Earth Day? Think reuse! Being more mindful of reuse in your day-to-day life is one of the many ways you can take positive action and help tackle the climate emergency. Here are just 3 ways to invest in reuse:
Invest your time by volunteering at a local reuse charity ⌚
Many reuse organisations rely on volunteers to stay running, so if you are able to, why not donate some of your time to support a local reuse charity. Not only will it benefit the charity, but you’ll get something out of it too! Evidence shows that helping other is actually beneficial for your own mental health and well being.
Invest your money by shopping at a local reuse charity shop ?
When you make a purchase at your local reuse charity shop, the funds raised from that sale will go straight back into the charity to underpin the work they do support local communities.
Invest in second hand furniture and electrical items ?️
When you shop second hand, you are reducing your environmental impact by helping extend the life of products and therefore reduces the demand for new resources. By buying second hand furniture you will be investing in organisations who promote sustainability and will be helping them save even more items from landfill!
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