Suffolk residents encouraged to donate quality items to re-use shops
People are being asked to use the lead up to Christmas to donate unwanted items
People across Suffolk are being urged to free up some space by donating good quality items to re-use shops at recycling centres in Foxhall and Bury St Edmunds.
Donations can be made at any of the county's 11 recycling centres via the clearly marked re-use areas, but the way people visit them is different due to coronavirus.
Visitors are required to make a booking beforehand in order to access any of the sites.
Cassie Webster, General Manager of Materials Trading at FCC Environment, which is in partnership with Suffolk County Council and The Benjamin Foundation, said: "We were delighted to be able to re-open both shops to the public on 2 December in time for Christmas and residents are indeed coming back in to the shops to ‘bag a bargain’ but we have seen a real drop in the volume of good quality items which we can make available in the shops."
As well as needing to book a time at the recycling centre, staff are unable to help with the unloading of cars for safety reasons.
Councillor Paul West, Cabinet Member for Waste at Suffolk County Council, said: "By donating to and purchasing items from our re-use shops, you are not only extending the life and use of the items instead of throwing them away, you are supporting local charities who undertake vital and critical work in the county of Suffolk.
"This in turn supports Suffolk’s goals to reduce, reuse and recycle our waste before it gets thrown away, whenever possible."