Press Release

Feb 2005 - Choose2Reuse Campaign gets funding from DEFRA

Defra has shown it's support of developing 'reuse' initiatives by providing a grant of £111,000 to part fund a three year 'Reuse' campaign led by a core partnership of the Association of Charity Shops and the Cambridgeshire and Essex Community Re-use and Recycling Networks.

The aim of the campaign is to change consumer behaviour so that the public donates more quality reusable material, of greater value, to charity shops and community groups. In addition, the project hopes to alter the public's attitude towards second-hand purchases, putting greater value on them and encouraging them to buy more previously owned goods.

The 'Choose2Reuse' campaign uses clear messages and imagery of reusable items, which will allow consumers to understand what can be bought from, and delivered to, charity shops and community groups.

The campaign will initially be delivered across the whole Anglia TV region and will focus on charity shops. Other groups, including the Furniture Re-use Network, CRN UK, the local authority Anglia Region Waste Awareness Campaign (ARWAC) will also be involved.

Elliot Morley, Environment Minister, said:

"I am very pleased to be supporting such diverse and innovative projects as Choose to Reuse. Sustainable consumption and production is at the heart of Defra's work and we recognise that voluntary and community groups have an important role to play in getting messages across and engaging with communities and businesses at the grass roots level.

These projects will help us to develop better ways of making a difference in everyday life, including more sustainable food production and consumption and improved processes in construction. These will help to improve the quality of people's lives."

For further information please contact Jo Stetzel or Lekha Klouda at the Association of Charity Shops on 020 7255 4470

Notes for Editors

The Association of Charity Shops is the national umbrella body for charity shops representing over 200 charities who between them run over 6000 shops.

For more information about Recycling in Cambridgeshire, contact Victor Perez, Waste Campaigns Officer on 01223 717572 or visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

For more information about CCORRN activities contact Nikki DiGiovanni, Network Organiser for CCORRN on 01354 742300, or visit www.ccorrn.org.uk or www.choose2reuse.org.uk.

Cambridgeshire Community Reuse and Recycling Network (CCORRN) is a community-led Network (unincorporated not for profit association) that supports the development of community reuse and recycling schemes across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

CCORRN is a partnership between the community, public and private sector that started in early 2003 with financial support obtained by Cambridgeshire County Council from the DEFRA Recycling Challenge Fund and from Enventure, an environmental body that administers Landfill Tax Credits for the waste operator - Donarbon Ltd of Waterbeach. The project was initially co-ordinated by Anglia Polytechnic University's WasteWISE Champion.