Earth Week 2024 – Celebrating 10 years of the White Goods Return Scheme

Earth Week 2024 – Celebrating 10 years of the White Goods Return Scheme 

This week is Earth Week, the week leading up to Earth Day (Monday 22nd April 2024) on which communities across the world demonstrate support for the protection of the environment and act against climate change. 

Each year, Earth Day calls for collective action to tackle climate change and urges people, governments, institutions and businesses to recognise shared responsibility for the environment and the need to accelerate towards creating a greener and more equitable future for all. 

Throughout Earth Week we are highlighting the environmental impact of reuse seen through our commercial partnerships. The scope of who we work with is vast and we are proud to have partnered with some brilliant commercial organisations to spearhead national initiatives to fight climate change and reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfill. 

10 years of the White Goods Return Scheme 

Since 2014, Reuse Network, Currys and DHL Envirosolutions have worked together on the White Goods Return Scheme as a way of tackling the increasing amount of waste produced by people replacing their old electrical appliances. As a result of the scheme, Reuse Network members are equipped with the items needed to supply low-income households with affordable goods – creating both social and environmental benefits in communities across the UK. 

The White Goods Return Scheme allows Currys to redirect customers’ old appliances that have been taken away when their new one arrives to those who need them the most.

When a customer’s old appliance is collected, it is returned to a Currys depot, from there, Reuse Network charity members will visit the depot to assess the returned items and take away the items they think can be reused. Appliances go through the charity’s workshop for safety testing and function tests and any machines requiring repair will get fixed if it is economically viable. From there, the charities work their miracles and clean up the appliances, so they look as good as new.

Appliances then get a final safety and quality check and are either donated free of charge to local households in need or are assigned to the shop floor, where, if sold, the funds go back into the charity to underpin the work the charity does. 

Last year, the White Goods Return Scheme reused 17,445 items which generated £1.76 million in household savings for low-income families, helped 9,420 households and prevented 993 tonnes of waste from landfill. 

Currys helps its customers give technology a longer life and through its commercial partnership with Reuse Network, Currys has been able to divert thousands of products from landfill and into the hands of people who need them the most. By working together, we have been able to combine our knowledge and expertise to broaden our collective impact through the scheme. 

Creating employment and training opportunities in the community 

As well as tackling waste and alleviating poverty, the partnership supports Reuse Network charity members in creating meaningful work and training opportunities within the communities they serve. Furniture Matters, a charity working across Morecambe and Blackpool to tackle furniture poverty, currently employs seven members of staff because of the White Goods Return Scheme.  

One of these staff members is Kevin, who joined the team on a 6-week mandatory work programme through the job centre. Kevin started out cleaning the machines that came through the scheme and he quickly made an impact in the team. Once his placement came to an end, Kevin was offered a full-time permanent position due to his hard work and dedication to the role.  

More recently, Furniture Matters has been able to provide two Kickstart trainees an engineering qualification. Specifically working on the scheme, the trainees have progressed to rebuilding the units themselves allowing them to gain meaningful employment in the future. 

Work with us

If you’re a commercial organisation looking for ways to extend the life of your products, or maybe you’re looking for ways to incorporate reuse into your ESG goals, get in touch with us here at Reuse Network to chat. 

Email Hannah Jordan, commercial manager: hannah.jordan@reuse-network.org.uk, or call 0800 085 8339

 

Find out more about our commercial partnerships