Posted 14 May 2015
Shoppers in Sefton can bag themselves a bargain from the end of May as a new charity “re-use” shop opens to the public selling pre-owned goods at a knockdown price.
The Community Reuse Shop is a venture being delivered by local recycling officers and national charity YMCA and will be based at the South Sefton Recycling Centre on Irlam Road, Bootle. Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) and Veolia are behind the scheme, whilst YMCA will operate the shop with its charitable projects benefiting from any profit. It is the first of its kind in Merseyside.
The shop will accept used and ‘pre-loved’ items from Merseyside householders which have been dropped off at the Centre. Instead of being recycled, reprocessed or sent to landfill, the donations will be cleaned and put up for sale. They will include furniture, children’s toys and tools/bric-a-brac. There will also be PAT testing on site so electrical items can be sold.
Carl Beer, Chief Executive of MRWA, said: “This first re-use shop is something we are proud to introduce. Donated items are given a new lease of life and sold at a low price. Everyone wins – the shopper gets a good deal, the charity raises money, and the Merseyside taxpayers avoid the cost of waste disposal.”
Rachel Dillon, Retail Area Manager at YMCA England, said: “We are excited at the prospect of the YMCA charity shop opening and supporting the Merseyside community. Our service will also provide paid employment for a number of local people and create an opportunity for volunteers and help support the community by offering a wide range of affordable items seven days per week, in turn supporting the YMCA.”
The shop will open to the public on Saturday 30th May and operate seven days a week, 9.00am to 5.00pm.
Adrian Jefferies, Business Manager at Veolia, said: “The scheme is a great opportunity for us to give something back to the local community. We hope that having a reuse shop at an existing recycling centre will change the way people deal with their unwanted items, seeing the benefits of reusing, as well as providing the existing recycling services.”
Carl Beer of MRWA continued: “The ongoing popularity of charity shops, car boot sales and online classified and community websites shows that there is a desire by the public to see quality items re-used and avoid landfill. Plus people will always love a bargain!”
