Scotland’s circular drive reaches re-use milestone

Scotland's drive for a circular economy has reached a major milestone with today's (8 August) announcement that 100 quality-certified re-use stores are now in operation.


The stores, certified with the national Revolve standard, operate alongside three large-scale re-use superstore hubs, including online hub ReStyle Argyll in Argyll and Bute – which received its formal launch today.

Commenting on the news, Scotland Environment Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “Re-use is one of the smartest ways in which we can keep products and materials out of landfill and in high-value use for longer.

“By shopping at these hubs, and other stores across Scotland with the Revolve logo, customers can be confident they have access to high-quality products which offer good value and support local communities through jobs and volunteering opportunities.”

Scale of opportunity

Thousands of re-usable items end up in landfill in Scotland each year, including around 125,000 sofas and around 365,000 TVs. The re-use hubs form a key role in Scotland’s attempt to recover these products and accelerate the country’s resource-efficient transition.

As a case in point, a unique re-use and repair superstore in Edinburgh, which opened last year, encourages customers to buy refurbished computers, rent affordable workspace and tools, and learn how to fix their own items such as mobile phones, textiles and furniture.

Meanwhile, Scotland’s Re-use Line just recorded its highest ever number of donations in a single month. The phone and online service, through which people in Scotland can have unwanted furniture and white goods collected for re-use for free, achieved a record high of 928 items – or 30 tonnes of household goods – referred in July.

Zero Waste Scotland chief executive Iain Gulland said: “It’s clear both consumers and businesses are waking up to the scale of opportunity in re-use and repair, as shown by Scotland’s first re-use hub in Dingwall, which is going from strength-to-strength, and the exciting latest hub, ReStyle Argyll, which I’m sure will attract lots of customers with its innovative online ordering system.

“The extent to which the Revolve brand has grown – with over 100 stores now certified, including the first private sector organisations earlier this year – clearly demonstrates strong support for a more sustainable, more circular economy in Scotland.”

Last year, the Scottish Government unveiled its first ever circular economy strategy, outlining bold plans to significantly reduce waste in the food and construction sectors and promote recycling and reuse across the country. Scotland’s waste targets include a 95% landfill diversion goal and 70% of waste recycled or prepared for reuse by 2025.

Meanwhile, applications have now closed for Scotland’s third ‘Zero Waste Town’. Zero Waste Scotland is set to announce the winner in the upcoming months, with the winning candidate expected to demonstrate a commitment to circular economy principles.

George Ogleby

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