The official opening of the new Reuse Shop, located on Upperhead Row, Huddersfield, took place today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Run by partners Revive, the Reuse Shop is one of the milestones of Kirklees Council’s Resources and Waste Strategy and will support the circular economy in the district as well as raise funds for good causes.
The Reuse Shop, which opened with a soft launch late last year, has already proved to be a big hit with local shoppers. Donation containers, which are located at the council’s household waste and recycling centres at Emerald Street, Huddersfield and Weaving Lane, Dewsbury, have been collecting unwanted textiles, small electricals, and other items for the last year. Residents have donated more than 97 tonnes of items to date, which have made their way to the reuse shop to be sold on. With the opening of the shop, donations can now also be taken there directly during opening hours, Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm. Large donations, including small items of furniture, or multiple bags of small items, can also be dropped off directly during pre-bookable slots.
Revive’s profits are shared between their two member charities, SLATE and the St Vincent De Paul Society (SVP), to support the work they do across West Yorkshire. In addition to offering for sale affordable, essential household goods to Kirklees residents, the shop has also created eight jobs and several volunteer opportunities.
Councillor Naheed Mather, Cabinet Member for Environment, said:
“I am delighted to be here today to officially open the shop following its successful soft launch late last year.
“We hope our new Reuse Shop will encourage more residents to embrace the circular economy and make it even easier to play their part to reduce, reuse, recycle.”
Councillor Will Simpson, Cabinet Member for Culture and Greener Kirklees, said:
“We are proud to have achieved this milestone in the delivery of our Resources and Waste Strategy, made possible by our partnership with SUEZ and Revive.
“We know the worries about climate change are ever-present and I welcome this new initiative that helps us take strides towards our vision of a zero-waste future for Kirklees.“
Andrew Zbos from Revive, said:
“We are delighted to be able to bring a reuse shop to Kirklees. Our primary aim is to reduce the number of items being disposed of across West Yorkshire; we’ve already intercepted over 97 tonnes of waste in Kirklees alone, which is a great start. I’m confident we can achieve even more now with the shop open.”
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or wishing to book a donation slot, can contact Revive directly by calling 01484 516991.
There are many local organisations and services offering fantastic, localised support. The Kirklees Council website details trusted, council-wide support with money, energy, and food in one place: www.kirklees.gov.uk/cost-of-living