InUse-ReUse Circular Economy
We are delighted to see the progress being made by our fellow Remakery residents InUse-ReUse.
This upcycling initiative in Brixton is demonstrating how the circular economy can work on a local scale, benefiting both the environment and the local community.
Supported through Veolia Lambeth’s Recycling Fund for Communities, discarded wood pallets have been collected from Brixton market by social enterprise InUse-ReUse, and transformed into bespoke benches for Slade Gardens in Stockwell, less than a mile down the road from where the pallets were first used.
InUse-ReUse collect pallets locally and divert them from the general waste steam, where they are instead reused, up-cycled into furniture or recycled. For this project they used funding from Veolia and teamed up with us, using our funding from the Mayor of London to create a community gardening hub for growing food and plants at Slade Gardens Adventure Playground.
The funding from Veolia enabled the build and install of hand-crafted pallet benches, compost bins and fencing. Veolia also donated 5,000 litres of peat-free Pro Grow compost for the gardens, which is produced from London’s food and garden waste – another prime example of circularity.
“It’s encouraging to see locals finding ways to reuse and recycle instead of throwing something away. Positive waste behaviours and creating circular solutions make a big difference to our environment, and we’re so pleased that through our Recycling Fund for Communities, we’re enabling people to do the right thing with Lambeth’s waste.”
Steve Verrier, Senior Contract Manager at Veolia Lambeth
“We thrive on finding projects that have an emphasis on the circular economy, and this particular project supported by Veolia Lambeth’s Recycling Fund for Communities has enabled us to push wood waste higher up the recycling hierarchy. With over 60 parks and green spaces in the borough of Lambeth, there is scope to replicate this project in other locations, which will in turn increase the use of local resources.” says Dennis Boateng, InUse-ReUse founder.
Dennis Boateng, founder of InUse-ReUse
Since 2018, almost £12,000 and 9,000 litres of compost have been donated to 13 Lambeth projects that tackle environmental issues. If you have an idea for a community project in Lambeth that has a positive impact on the environment, find out how your project could be funded at www.veolia.co.uk/london/recycling-fund-communities.