Pop-up reuse shop dazzles at Devizes Market Place

Wiltshire Council and its waste and recycling partner FCC Environment teamed up with Sustainable Devizes to bring the reuse revolution to Wiltshire by hosting the first ever pop-up reuse shop at Devizes Market Place recently.

It took place on 29 October and items for sale on the day were donated at the eight recycling centres on behalf of the council by FCC Environment across Wilshire. There was an array of pre-loved bargains up for grabs including tools, garden items, crockery, toys, sports equipment, and bikes.

The fantastic team of volunteers at Sustainable Devizes supported the pop-up event by hosting a stand showcasing repair demonstrations including free clothes mending, tool sharpening and bike maintenance checks. Sustainable Devizes Zero Waste Coordinator Samantha Drury Shore commented, "It was great to meet so many folks who were interested in learning more about reuse and repair. These two "Rs" can help us reduce waste, live more sustainably, and save money. I think there's definitely an appetite for more of this in Devizes."

A local resident who had not got on the saddle for 15 years was excited to purchase a pre-loved bike at the pop-up event. It was then given a full safety check by Sustainable Devizes volunteers before being cycled home by the happy customer. Other strange and wonderful items sold included a set of skis, a fishing tent and a singer sewing machine.

For some time residents have been able to donate paint for reuse at the Amesbury and Salisbury household recycling centres and this service is due to be rolled out across the remaining six sites operated by FCC allowing members of the public to pick up and drop off unwanted paint free of charge. The Reuse Drop Off for bikes, furniture and bric-a-brac is also already live across the HRC sites with bikes going to Erlestoke Prison for maintenance then onto the Sue Ryder Charity. Local charity KFR collects furniture from four of the sites and other items get taken to auction to maximise the volume of materials that are reused. But this was the first event where members of the public could purchase items directly from the recycling centres.

Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Waste, Cllr Dr Mark McClelland, came along to the pop-up event to meet the team and peruse the bargains on offer.

Mark commented: "This is a great initiative to encourage reuse in Wiltshire, which is a big commitment in our business plan. It was fantastic to see so many items going to a new home and saved from going to waste and we look forward to putting on more events like this in the future."

FCC Environment's Graduate Management Trainee Toby Goodwin who led the pop-up project added, "All of our hard work was worth it. Thank you to Wiltshire Council and Sustainable Devizes for their support to make the pop-up reuse shop such a success. We sold nearly 300 individual items preventing approximately 2.1 tonnes of waste from going to landfill. 13 bikes went to a new home and there was hardly anything left at the end of the event which is fantastic! It was such a great day; we hope to build on our success by hosting more reuse events next year!"

Residents can donate good quality items for reuse at eight of Wiltshire's 10 recycling centres (those operated by FCC Environment).

More information about Wiltshire Council's kerbside recycling and Household Recycling Centres can be found at Rubbish and recycling.