Choose2Reuse Campaign encourages effective reuse amongst charity shoppers

Press Release

Oct 2005 - Choose2Reuse Campaign Encourages Effective Reuse Amongst Charity Shoppers

The Choose2Reuse project funded by a Defra Environment Action Fund grant is offering the 55 plus charities located in the Anglia Region the opportunity to sign up to receive FREE promotional materials to use in any one of the 750 plus charity shops in the region.

The Choose2Reuse project aims to:

Increase the quantity of good quality donations to charity shops and community groups
Encourage more people to buy more pre-owned goods
Increase the number of people involved in reuse activities by volunteering to become a 'reuse champion'

Elliot Morley, Environment Minister said "Encouraging people to think about the environmental impacts of their lifestyles, and actively helping them to change to more sustainable ways of living is an important aspect of the Government's sustainable development strategy.

Choose2Reuse, which Defra is backing with an Environmental Action Fund grant, seeks to encourage reuse and recycling, in a way that visibly benefits communities.

"We all have a part to play in making sustainable development a reality, and I urge people to get involved in initiatives like Choose2Reuse that make real difference to real people."

The campaign through the charity shops will be launched in January, a time when people are thinking about what to do with unwanted gifts and making room for new items purchased at the January sales. As part of the campaign charity shops will display promotional posters and will be looking for volunteers to take part in reuse activities through the Reuse Champion programme. For more information about the campaign visit the website www.choose2reuse.org.uk

Notes to Editors

The Choose2Reuse project is being delivered by the Association of Charity Shops in partnership with the Cambridgeshire and Essex Community Reuse and Recycling Networks (CCORRN & ECORRN)

Choose2Reuse was created in Cambridgeshire by CCORRN in 2004 and it has already been recognised for best environmental best practice by winning a Green Apple Award. Further background information can be found at www.choose2reuse.org.uk

The Environmental Action Fund (EAF) helps voluntary groups in England promote sustainable development through projects on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP). The Association of Charity Shops was awarded a grant of £111,000 over three years to deliver the Choose2Reuse project.