MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Our members make a difference in their local communities, by supporting the circular economy in Scotland, and providing social and environmental benefits through their work. Discover their inspiring stories below.
PLANET
Today, we’re all aware of the issues around climate change, plastics and other environmental issues. Here in Scotland, our members have been making a real difference by saving valuable resources from landfill. See some examples below!
Recyke-a-bike saves tons from landfill
Watch the video or read Recyke-a-bike’s story.
Our members great planet saving activities
Moray Waste Busters divert items from a local recycling centre in Forres to sell in their reuse store.
Volunteer coop SHRUB encourages students in Edinburgh to live more sustainably. They run a swap shop, food sharing hub, bike repair hub and upcycling workshops.
Transform Community Development in Dundee manages the local FareShare programme that redistributes food from local and national suppliers, helping to address both food poverty and food waste in Fife and Tayside. They provided over 670,000 meals last year.
PEOPLE
Our members provides social as well as environmental benefits. When we care for the planet, we also care for people, from improving health to regenerating communities. Take a look at our relevant member case studies including Fresh Start’s video.
Fresh Start: helping make houses homes
Watch the video or read the Fresh Start member spotlight.
Our members make a difference to people’s lives
Wood RecyclAbility is a social enterprise providing practical work experience for people with additional support needs. They support 10 staff and over 30 trainees in their workshop in Aberdeenshire.
Castle Furniture in Fife support mental health and well-being in their community. In partnership with the Scottish Prison Service at HMP Glenochil, they work with offenders to service and refurbish white goods that are then sold through the CRNS Reuse Consortium.
Stella’s Voice in Peterhead is committed to protecting the world’s most vulnerable people from human traffickers. They manage five reuse shops across the UK to generate funds for their international humanitarian efforts.
POUNDS
Our members can only contribute to a sustainable future for Scotland if their organisations are themselves financially sustainable. We provide information and support so our members can continue delivering important social, environmental and community impacts. Discover a few of their stories and learn about our Reuse Consortium now.
Circular Communities Scotland Reuse Consortium: making reuse cost effective
Watch the video or read our read the Instant Neighbours Spotlight.
Some great examples of looking after the pounds
Greener Kirkcaldy is a community-led charity and development trust. They have recently moved into their new community hub, a building purchased thanks to their strong fundraising efforts. Asset ownership remains a very positive step towards long term sustainability in Scotland.
In Glasgow, Reconnect and Second Opportunities have come together to form the Total Homes Cooperative – a zero waste housing social enterprise. Their aim is to grow a sustainable house clearance business that can tender for work across multiple local authorities, housing associations and private landlords.
Fyne Futures is committed to environmental sustainability on the Isle of Bute via a variety of ongoing projects. Plans are progressing on a new community windfarm project which will deliver valuable additional income in the years ahead.
PLACE
Our members are active across all local authority regions in Scotland, helping communities across the country to create more sustainable lives for local people. Discover Circular Communities Scotland members from different communities below.
Fyne Futures : making Bute a better place to live
Watch the video or read the Fyne Futures member spotlight.
Great place-making activities from our members
COPE is responding to the needs of the island community of Shetland and specifically overcoming employment barriers for those who are disabled or living with learning difficulties. They run four different social enterprises including Shetland Home Co which supports reuse and recycling.
The Edinburgh Remakery is committed to building a stronger community by helping those who need it most. They operate a community repair service run on a pay-what-you-can-afford basis whilst their work repairing IT equipment has enabled them to provide free laptops to refugees living in the city.
Miixer in Dunbar is championing a local circular economy working in partnership with East Lothian Council to collect items from “zero waste sheds” at recycling centres and then sell them in their shops. They have created 10 full time jobs at or above the living wage which further supports their local community.
Changeworks is running Zero Waste Leith which has delivered a strong campaign on the issue of fly-tipping, taking inspiration from the film Trainspotting which was filmed in Leith. Early results showed an impressive 47% reduction in fly-tipping following the campaign.
We’ve found Circular Communities Scotland to be extremely supportive of the community re-use sector, providing valuable advice and guidance and helping to get our views heard at national level. Sharing information and best practice with similar re-use and homeless support organisations has been much easier with their help, regular briefings and forums. We’d certainly recommend becoming a member.
Joyce Harkness, SHAX