REDUCE, REUSE, REPAIR

Looking for simple ways to help the environment and reduce waste? Join us at our “Reduce, Reuse, Repair” day for a lively and inspiring community event dedicated to cutting down what we send to landfill.

Discover how small changes can make a big impact. This special event brings together some fantastic local charities and organisations that repair, reuse and redistribute items giving them a new purpose instead of them being thrown away.  Find out how you can get involved and give your support.

What to expect:

• Meet local changemakers working to reduce waste in our community 
• Find new homes for your unwanted items 
• Learn how to repair and reuse your belongings
• Connect with like-minded people who care about the planet 
• Relax in our café area and enjoy the friendly atmosphere 

Whether you want to declutter responsibly, learn new skills or simply be inspired, there’s something here for everyone.

At the event we invited people to make suggestions abuot how to Reduce, Reuse, Repair and here are the suggestions made:

1. FOOD WASTE – Use the Olio App via https://olioapp.com/en/ to tackle food waste.
2. PLASTIC MILK BOTTLE TOPS – being collected at the Woodhouse Centre in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital
3. USED U.K. STAMPS – send by FREEPOST to Retina UK (ensure ‘Retina UK’ is the only text in the address line) in support of research into sight loss https://retinauk.org.uk/
4. CHARITY SHOPS – take your pre-loved clothes and other belongings to your local charity shop and while you are there make purchases that benefit the charity. 
5. ALL UNDER ONE ROOF - Set up a charity supermarket as they have done in Sweden – see www.retuna.se, and in Brighton (www.charitysupermkt.com)
6. FOREIGN COINS – donate to Rotary’s collection box in Oxted Morrisons
7. BUSINESS ATTIRE – Suited and Booted (suitedbootedcentre.org.uk) accepts suits, ties and footwear to repurpose to young graduates seeking interviews etc.
8. FISHING LINES – The Anglers National Recycling Scheme (www.anglers-nlrs.co.uk) accepts old fishing lines and monofilament
9. EMPTY INK CARTRIDGES – donate to The Woodhouse Centre – collection bucket in Reception
10. USED SPECTACLES – Deposit at the Oxted Health Centre – Not the cases though!
11. BRAS – Any unwanted bras can be posted to Against Breast Cancer, Leatham House, 13 Napier Court, Barton Lane, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3TT
12. PRESCRIPTION FOIL PACKS – once you have taken your tablets, deposit the empty foil packaging at Boots the Chemists
13. RING PULLS from Drinks Cans – Purple Community Fund can use these to make jewellery, handbags etc. Send them to 104 Waverley Road, Leamington Spa, CV31 2DE
14. YOUR NEW CAR – how about delaying for a year or so before changing your car – if it is still serviceable?
15. JUST ABOUT ANYTHING – Put onto https://www.freecycle.org/. It’s free!
16. OLD CLOTHES, SHOES & ACCESSORIES – sell on https://www.vinted.co.uk/; any profits you make can be donated to charity.
17. THAT LAST SCRAPING OF SAUCE OR CREAM – ever felt that the container still had a little bit left in it, yet it wouldn’t come out (e.g. hand cleanser). Use heavy duty scissor (‘snips’) to cut away the upper part of the pack so you can access that last 5%.