Penallta Reuse Shop celebrate a successful first year in operation.
Penallta Reuse Shop opened in partnership with South Wales based charity, Wastesavers Charitable Trust Ltd. in October 2022, providing an opportunity for items once destined for the Household Recycling Centre to be reused and sold at bargain prices.
Since opening, the Shop has successfully diverted 115,605 kgs of items from the waste stream and gotten them into the hands of those who need them.
Whilst offering pre-loved items at great prices, Penallta Reuse Shop has also spent the year joining forces with local projects and charities to offer community projects such as their partnership with mental health charity Growing Space to run a recycling programme that delivers new skills, employment support, and volunteer opportunities for residents across the borough, and their recent partnership with Caerphilly Uniform Exchange to offer pre-loved school uniforms to Caerphilly County Borough residents free of charge.
Councillor Chris Morgan, Cabinet Member for Waste, Leisure & Green spaces said: “We opened Penallta Reuse Shop in October 2022, in partnership with Wastesavers, as the next step in our journey to becoming a carbon neutral authority, but also because of the social and economic benefits that reuse has on a community.
“Those benefits have been clearly demonstrated by Penallta Reuse Shop this year, and we can’t wait to see what they are able to achieve in future years.
“I would like to thank all of those involved in this project, from the residents donating their pre-loved items, shoppers, our dedicated waste team and the committed volunteers – you have all played a part in hitting this fantastic milestone.”
Wastesavers Charity Manager, Alun Harries added, “The Reuse Shop at Penallta has been a great success in its first 12 months, providing local community environmental, social and economic benefits.
“It’s been a hugely positive experience working with Caerphilly County Borough Council to set up and run the shop and work towards Welsh Government’s ‘Beyond Recycling’ strategy. We are delighted that the partnership will be offering other services for Repair and Reuse in the coming months, such as a cloth Nappy Library, as part of this.”
Penallta Reuse Shop is located at Penallta Industrial Estate, South Road, Hengoed, CF82 7ST and is open seven days a week, 9:30-4:30.
