Donate unwanted Walsall items to reduce landfill

Families will have the option of handing over bulky goods such as a sofa or bed to a furniture re-use shop in the town centre when requesting a collection by Walsall Council.

Already Loved Furniture will recycle and sell them on to people on a budget from their Park Place store. Previously the unwanted items would've gone straight to landfill.

It comes as the borough has also been hit by a rise in fly-tipping with the council looking at moves to reduce the amount of dumped rubbish. It is also looking at the possibility of re-opening tips up to seven days a week.

This new partnership between the council and Already Loved Furniture (ALF), which is part of the Accord Group, has been launched this week.

Stephen Sharman, transformation manager at Caldmoreaccord, said: "We are delighted to sign this partnership with Walsall Council.

"Being able to reduce the landfill and be environmentally conscious is so important these days so we hope more Walsall people support this partnership and offer us their unwanted furniture for recycling."

Councillor Louise Harrison, portfolio holder for Clean and Green, added: "I am delighted that this collaboration between our Recycling Centre at Fryers Road and ALF not only reduces landfill in the borough, but offers a viable re- use alternative to households too.

"It aims to make people more environmentally conscious whilst helping other families at the same time.'

The partnership will also see ALF make regular collections of general recyclable household items from Walsall's two rubbish tips at Aldridge and Bloxwich.

The council's Clean and Green team, and environmental consultants SUEZ who manage the borough's Household Waste Recycling Centres, hope the initiative will encourage more people to actively think about re-using and the benefits to other families.

David Palmer-Jones, chief executive of the re-cycling and recovery division at SUEZ added; "Re -using, re-cycling and reducing landfill is at the centre of everything that we do.

"Schemes like this keep that message in the public eye and residents are generally very supportive of these environmental aims. We hope that more Walsall people support this partnership and offer us their unwanted furniture for viable re-use."

ALF welcomes donations of furniture and volunteers for the shop.

For more information call 0121 568 3923 or email alf@alreadylovedfurniture.co.uk. To request a collection from the council call 01922 653344.