Re-use Is Best! Pass It On!
Re-use Is Best! Pass It On! - That is the message for ‘Pass It On Week’ that this year takes place from 7th to 15th March. ‘Pass It On Week’ is a national event to promote greater reuse, whether that be through, swapping, sharing, up-cycling, or buying second hand. The Highland Council is supporting the campaign and is encouraging as many organisations and individuals as possible to hold an event.
Pass it on Week is organised by Zero Waste Scotland as a way to encourage more re-use of items and to tackle the huge amount of re-usable items that are sent to landfill each year in Scotland. Keeping assets in circulation and avoiding waste directly supports the Council’s Carbon CLEVER aim of a carbon neutral Inverness in a low carbon Highlands by 2025.
Anyone can organise an event – schools, colleges, universities, workplaces, businesses, re-use organisations, community groups and individuals. Ideas for events include ‘Give and Take Days’, Jumble or Bring and Buy sales, a Clothes ‘Swish’, Clothes ‘Upcycle’ Workshops and Fashion Shows, Toy, Book, Sports Equipment swaps, ‘Computer Doctor’ Workshops and ’Pass It On in Safety’ hard disc cleans.
Councillor Graham MacKenzie, Chair of The Highland Council’s Community Services Committee said: “Maximising reuse benefits everyone. As well as the recipients of passed on items, we all benefit from the reduction in the amount going to landfill which costs the Council about £150 a tonne. When you realise that we sent 80,000 tonnes of material to landfill last year that’s a big bite out of Council’s budget. It is in all of our interests to encourage greater re-use not just during ‘Pass it on Week’ but every week of the year.”
The Highland Council will be holding its own ‘Pass it On Week’ event for Council staff at its HQ building in Glenurquhart Road on Wednesday 11th March. The Council is also working with re-use organisations to expand re-use facilities at its Recycling Centres. Containers for passing on good quality furniture and household goods will soon be available at three more Centres – Tain, Brora and Portree.
Information on how to plan an event for’ Pass It On Week’ can be found by visiting the Recycle for Scotland website http://www.passitonweek.com/ where you can also register your event.
The Highland Council Waste Awareness Team are also happy to offer help and advice with planning events and can be contacted by emailing recycle@highland.gov.uk or by calling 01349 886603. They will also promote events taking place in the area on their website: http://www.highland.gov.uk/recycle