Reuse Before Recycle
making business better for the planet

Reuse Before Recycling: A Sustainable Future Begins With Us As Responsible Business

About the Initiative

Welcome to the Stroud & District Chamber of Trade & Commerce's Reuse Before Recycling Scheme, an innovative programme designed to encourage businesses and individuals to prioritise reuse over recycling. This initiative aims to reduce waste, conserve resources, and support a circular economy by fostering a culture of reuse within our community.

Why Reuse Matters

Each year, countless reusable materials are discarded, leading to environmental harm and the unnecessary depletion of resources. By focusing on reuse, we can make a significant positive impact:

  • Reduce Waste: Reusing materials decreases waste volume, leading to lower disposal costs and a reduced environmental footprint.
  • Save Resources: Reuse reduces the need for raw materials, conserving natural resources and lowering the carbon emissions associated with manufacturing.
  • Support the Economy: Encouraging reuse fosters innovation within local businesses, driving economic growth and strengthening community ties.

How the Scheme Works

Our Reuse Before Recycling Scheme is straightforward and highly effective:

  1. Reusing Across Businesses:
    Businesses have successfully re-homed a variety of items rather than sending them to waste or recycling. Examples include:   
    1. Office Equipment: Filing trays, desk equipment.
    2. Packaging: Small boxes for shipping, foam coins, bubble wrap, air pillows, cardboard shred.
    3. Specialised Uses: Bubble wrap for fragile goods, silica gel sachets for preserving plant-based balloons, and shop display units.

  2. Reducing Environmental Impact:
    By reusing materials, businesses help to ensure less energy is consumed in recycling processes. This also reduces costs related to refuse collection and purchasing virgin materials, while benefiting businesses that receive reusable items.

  3. Sublimely Simple and Local:
    The scheme is easy to manage on a local scale and has proven to be highly impactful. Since its formal launch in March 2021, it has facilitated the regular exchange of items between businesses, fostering connections that might not have existed otherwise. Established chains between some businesses ensure a steady flow of reusable materials, reducing the need for public promotions and keeping operations efficient.

Get Involved

Participating in the Reuse Before Recycling Scheme is simple:

Businesses: If you are based in Stroud Town, join our WhatsApp group to connect with other businesses, share resources, and collaborate on reuse initiatives. This platform allows for seamless communication and the re-homing of materials.
 
Individuals: If you have items to contribute, please contact us via at eco@stroudchamber.org.uk. While the WhatsApp group is exclusive to businesses, we welcome public enquiries and involvement.

Keep up to date

Are you following our Eco Channel on Facebook? It's our celebration of the great work our members do in lessening their impact on the environment.
Find us on Facebook at @StroudChamberOfTradeEcoChannel for updates and information.



Contact Us

Have questions or need more information? We're here to help. Email: eco@stroudchamber.org.uk.

Together, we can build a more sustainable future. Let's make reuse the first step in managing waste and protecting our environment.

Would you like to be a member of the Chamber and support our work across the Stroud District?

Membership starts at just £25 per year. We are  not funded by councils or any tier of local government; it's the support of our members (through their membership subscriptions) that fund our projects and work.

Ron Cree
Secretary, Stroud and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce
c/o R and R Books
4 Nelson Street
STROUD
GL5 2HL

01453 755788

Stroud Chamber of Trade is the trading name of the Stroud and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce.