Reuse for Northamptonshire

The Reuse for Northamptonshire campaign aims to raise awareness of reuse as an important concept in our drive to reduce the amount of waste produced in the county. In many ways reusing unwanted materials and rehoming second hand items is much more important than simply recycling them.

The campaign supports local community initiatives and provides opportunities to engage reuse projects and organisations throughout Northamptonshire and connect them to members of the public. 

Reuse Fortnight (17th May - 31st May 2008)

We have organised a number of events to celebrate the very first Reuse Fortnight. The waste minimisation team will be out through the two week period with a number of original events aimed at getting county residents reusing more of their waste instead of sending it to landfill.

Bra Amnesty

The Bra Amnesty is a quirky campaign that supports a local charity while also introducing the concept that lots of unusual things can be reused instead of being disposed of. Used bras are normally not acceptable at charity shops as they are not very desirable to the shops customers.
 
However, UK made bras are very much in demand in the developing world due to their superior quality, thus Oxfam have recently started to collect them. During Reuse Week, Northamptonshire Waste Partnership are helping to collect as many used bras as possible to support Oxfam and save useful items going to landfill.

You can donate your bras to

• any Oxfam shop
• at one of our Reuse Events
• at selected libraries 
• at selected local district and borough customer services offices

See the Upcoming Recycling Events section for more information.

Northants 96 are also hosting 'Bra-maggedon' in an effort to boost donations. A prize of £250 worth of vouchers redeemable at a leading bra retailer is on offer to one lucky winner during Reuse Fortnight. All you have to do to get a chance of winning a selection of glamorous new bras is donate your old ones!

Inside Out Days

Come along to one of our 'Inside Out' events and see what fantastic things you can do with reused items. The event aims to make people think about the waste they produce and how it isn't just the contents of their black bin that go to landfill but also everything perceived as broken, old or just unfashionable.

Things like furniture, clothes and bric-a-brac can be reused by other people instead of being needlessly thrown away. If people reuse their unwanted items, they can prolong the life of an object and help save thousands of tonnes of valuable resources going to landfill.

The inside out display demonstrates how easy it is to furnish a complete room without buying brand new items. It also demonstrates the many ways in which you can get rid of unwanted things without harming the environment.

More information on different charities, organisations and projects will be available at:

We will have a travelling bra bank at the Inside Out days too. People can bring their bras along and we will collect them on behalf of Oxfam.

Reuse and Recycling Roadshow with Biggest Beat

Come along to our roadshow on Saturday 31st May 2008 in Northampton Market Place to find out how you can 'slim your bin' and be entertained by the fantastic junk band 'Biggest Beat'. With all their instruments made entirely of waste materials you can see that with a little imagination, anything can be reused to good effect!

Waste and Recycling Officers from Northamptonshire County Council and Northampton Borough Council will be on hand to answer your questions and provide information from 10:00am until 16:00pm. Biggest Beat will give regular performances between 11:00am and 15:00pm.  

Biggest Beat will also be holding workshops at selected Northamptonshire Schools throughout Recycle Week (2nd - 8th June). 

Why Reuse?

• Reusing good quality items can save energy and conserve valuable virgin materials. No additional resources need to be utilised if we can prolong the useful life of a product.
• Reuse Organisations and charity shops help to rehome good quality items that would otherwise end up in landfill.
• Charities can sell donated items, enabling them to invest in good causes.
• Selling second hand items for reuse will also provide training and employment opportunities for hundreds of disadvantaged and disenfranchised county residents.
• And most importantly, a visit to a charity shop or a quick trawl through an online reuse network provides ample opportunity for bargain hunting!

Make a Pledge

You can support the Reuse for Northamptonshire campaign by making two simple pledges:

• I pledge to reuse everything I can by finding alternative uses for unwanted items and donating to charities, reuse organisations or needy individuals
• I pledge to buy something second hand at least four times a year.

For more information on how to reuse your waste or to find a local reuse charity, visit the Recycling Your Household Waste link on the right.