Home Basics expand collection service to local residents in an effort to help protect the environment together

Reuse Network member, Home Basics, this week launched its partnership with Recycle Your Electricals, funded by Material Focus, to expand its collection service.

Householders and local businesses across the Southern Borders will be able to more easily declutter their unwanted electricals with immediate effect.  Home Basics are expanding their collection service of working electrical items to local residents in an effort to help protect the environment together.

Home Basics is aiming to collect an additional 3,000 of these appliances which will then be tested and made available for resale to local residents for a fraction of the cost of buying them new. The project will help to reduce electrical waste. Homes Basics hopes that a further 1,500 households will be helped, saving an estimated £125,000 compared to buying new electricals and preventing 40 tonnes of CO2 being released to the environment.

Recent research, by the not for profit Material Focus, has found that UK householders are hoarding 527 million small electrical items, an average of nearly 20 per household.  And the problem is set to get worse as waste electricals are one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world and the UK. Instead, the majority of electricals can either be reused or the materials contained in them recycled by being turned into anything from life-saving equipment to children’s playgrounds.

In a concerted effort to tackle this growing challenge, Material Focus have funded Home Basics to significantly expand their collection scheme as part of the Recycle Your Electricals Campaign.  The project provides two safety testing jobs in Hawick and numerous volunteer opportunities across both stores for locals to up skill or prepare for reemployment.  The scheme will collect kitchen appliances, household appliances, cookers, fridges, freezers, televisions and more on a daily basis, Monday to Friday.  PC’s and laptops will also be accepted and passed on to local organisations working with Home Basics in support of this campaign. In addition to the reuse scheme, non-reusable electrical waste will be fully recycled via Scottish Borders Council Household Recycling Centres.  Income generated from items donated to Home Basics will enable this project to become self sufficient.

Home Basics Business Manager Dennis Fisher states, “In partnership with Scottish Borders Council, we are keen to support the Recycle Your Electricals campaign and make it easier for local residents to declutter their electricals.  By donating to their local household reuse charity local people can do their bit to minimise waste and prevent carbon emissions whilst making quality items available to others at a low cost.  The Home Basics reuse model has already successfully prevented electrical items and many household items going to waste for over 20 years across the Scottish Borders.  The funding received from Material Focus helps build capacity to expand our reach in local communities to prevent more electrical waste and raise awareness.   Inspiring a reuse society among all ages across the Scottish Borders whilst still meeting the needs of our beneficiaries is a primary objective of Home Basics.  We are grateful to our donors and customers for working together to combat issues of climate change and waste.   Together we can challenge behaviours in local communities to choose to reuse quality items available prior to sourcing new.  We encourage everyone with non useable electrical items in their home to come forward and support this campaign.  ”

Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus said: “This project is vital to ensuring that we make good use of our old electricals. Whether they are re-used or recycled – these items contain valuable materials that will otherwise be lost forever.  Our research has shown that in the UK we are hoarding over 527 million small electrical items, an average of 20 per household, which is why last year we launched the Recycle Your Electricals campaign.  We are delighted to be working with Home Basics who are one of a number of new reuse projects that we are funding in the UK.  So whether you are at home or work, please hunt out your old electricals and donate them to benefit your community.”

Home Basics’ reuse and repair ethos proves an important contributor to the local circular economy.  Collectively, Home Basics, customers and kind donors benefit the environment by preventing tonnes of furniture and household items going to landfill each year.  Quality items can redeem their original purpose and be used, thus minimising the demand for new production of lesser quality items.

Home Basics help tackle challenges in society by encouraging participation from the community and changing the mindset of individuals to build a reuse society.  Choosing to reuse an available item rather than sourcing new has a positive impact on our struggling environment.

You can find out more about Home Basics by visiting their website or you can give them a like on Facebook.