HUNDREDS of tonnes of unwanted household items are being saved from going to landfills by a Llanelli enterprise.
Choose2Reuse CIC, an Environmental Social Enterprise, a not for personal profit organisation set up to provide inclusive and caring work environments for people of all backgrounds and to support disadvantaged people to gain skills through volunteering, training and employment are saving hundreds of tonnes of unwanted clothing, shoes, bags, plastic/ soft toys, bedding, books, household goods and general bric-a-bac from going to the landfills.
The Enterprise set up in 2016 by founders Tanya Igic and Tony Holmes, recycles and upcycles clothing and bric-a-brac that charity shops and the general public no longer want and divert this unwanted waste from being disposed of in landfill sites. The unwanted items donated and collected at Choose 2 Reuse Enterprise centre in Parc Trostre are then used to generate funds to support the workers and to create other social opportunities within the community.
Tanya Igic, Co-founder and Chief Executive said “We work closely with organisations such as Women’s Aid, Wallich ,Workways, Opportunity Teams Carmarthenshire Council, Carmarthenshire People First, Carmarthenshire Council West Child Care Team, CAVS and Family Housing Association, by providing placements and volunteering opportunities leading to job creation.
In addition we provide, start-up packs for previously homeless people, when they come into the community with nothing. These packs contain items including bedding, kitchenware and household goods to help get them started in their new homes.
In the last year, we have saved 360 tonnes of unwanted goods going to the landfills, recycled 1,440,000 items, purchased over £36,000 of unwanted items locally, created 6 new jobs in less than 10 months of moving to our new premises in Parc Trostre and have provided 15 unemployed and/or disadvantaged people access to work-experience and training/ development support to return to work.
We are focussed on meeting our social impact by engaging with those who are furthest from the labour market and providing them with opportunities to develop as net contributors to the community. We are so pleased to see how the work we do and the contribution for the general public is helping both our environment and local community.”
Unwanted household items in good and clean condition such as clothing, shoes, bags, plastic/ soft toys, bedding, books, household goods and general bric-a-bac can be taken to Unit 1.2 South Avenue, Trostre Industrial Park, Trostre or can be collected by calling Tony on 07599 038 388 or Tanya, 07868 422 188 to help support the work the Enterprise provides.
