Green project recycles 3,000 tonnes since launch (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Green project recycles 3,000 tonnes since launch

3:06pm Wednesday 14th March 2007 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

A pioneering green project which donates unwanted furniture and computers to charities has recycled more than 3,000 tonnes since its launch in the summer.

The waste to wonder warehouse project, run by the company Green Standards, which disposes of companies' waste ethically, was launched in July and is unique to Swindon.

The organisation takes old furniture and computers from businesses and either gives them away for free or recycles them.

The warehouse based at South Marston Industrial Park in the town contains more than a thousand furniture items and computers that schools and charities can choose from.

Nationwide Building Society and Shoosmiths are two of the companies that have used Green Standards to take away unwanted furniture and IT equipment.

It is the first warehouse of its kind in the UK and has been hugely successful in its first eight months, according to marketing manager Michael Amos.

"It has been going fantastically well and some companies have been finding the service essential," he said.

Process managers from Green Standards pick the best leftover office furniture and computers from companies' premises to be displayed at the warehouse.

He compared the warehouse to Ikea and said all charities and schools were welcome to come and pick through the wares.

"There is no prejudice, we don't mind what the charity does as long as it is registered," Mr Amos said.

Conservation charity Born Free and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) are two of the charities that have gained equipment thanks to the scheme.

Green Standards also packs up crates to be sent abroad to schools.

Mr Amos said the service is helping large businesses comply with environmental regulations.

"Not showing corporate responsibility costs companies billions of pounds," he said.

The businesses pay Green Standards to get rid of the waste in an environmentally friendly way but Mr Amos said this is a better option than them disposing of their own waste.

The warehouse project tries to save as many of the companies' unwanted items as possible but if they can't be salvaged, it arranges for them to be recycled.

"As little as possible goes to landfill, but what we can't redistribute to charities and schools goes to recycling," he said.

More than 3,000 tonnes of rubbish has been recycled since July.

In an effort to raise even more funds Green Standards plans to rent out temporary storage space to companies in the future.