James Scott’s North Somerset ReUse Project
How the project works
How the project works
People with unwanted items and on the way to the Council tip (HWRCs) stop by our Project first and we see what we can ‘salvage’ from going to landfill – this will depend on the item and although we have a very large store it may be due to lack of space. We even take in broken items to see if we can either repair them or strip them down for parts. Items brought to the store are cleaned and/or worked on before being put out for sale. If you have one or two items to bring to the store, we would be able to accept them during our opening hours. However, I hope you’ll appreciate that we only have so much space in the store and a limited capacity to process these items, therefore, if you have a significant quantity of items to bring in to us, it would be really helpful if you could contact us in the first instance to arrange a mutually convenient day and time for you to do so. This will help us enormously to manage these items and continue our service to reduce landfill in North Somerset.
All items accepted at the store are logged in and weighed and a note of the area they have come from is marked on the map within the store. On average we are currently saving approx. 26 tonne per year from going to landfill – see last year's statistics on the Home Page.
A Small Selection of Typical Items for Re-use
A Small Selection of Typical Items for Re-use
Fixings and Fittings
Fixings and Fittings
Garden Tools
Garden Tools
Hose Pipes, Hose Fittings and Other General Sundries
Hose Pipes, Hose Fittings and Other General Sundries
Tiles and Wallpaper
Tiles and Wallpaper
Patio Slabs, Bricks, Blocks and Plastic Drain Pipes
Patio Slabs, Bricks, Blocks and Plastic Drain Pipes
Items we can accept
Items we can accept
Most of the items we take in are from sheds, garages and gardens. Mainly hardware from nuts and bolts and wood pieces to ladders and garden gates and items you just don’t know where to take – except to landfill, if you’re clearing out for space or moving due to downsizing. We also accept ceramic pots, taps, shower and light fittings and so much more!
It’s easier to tell you what we can't accept. These are: large pieces of furniture, i.e. wardrobes, beds, etc. and soft goods, i.e. sofas. Of electrical items, these include; white goods, i.e. fridges, etc., printers, microwaves and non working TVs. However, we accept all other electrical items, household, power tools, garden equipment etc, and with the exceptions given above, we accept them whether they are working or not or even broken.
Thinking outside the box:
What you might think we won’t accept, we just might. As we are a working project and passionate about reducing landfill, we go to extra ordinary lengths to achieve this; if something is broken (including electrical items) and we can’t fix it, we take it apart and any useful or interesting pieces we’ll keep for sale. For example an old nonworking/broken coffee machine, we’ll strip it down into wire, plugs and separate the plastic to the motor and if the glass jug isn’t broken, we’ll clean it and put it out for sale – someone else may just need that particular part for their own machine or use it for something else.
Although we don’t take microwaves as mentioned, we’ll take the unbroken plate; someone else may have just smashed theirs and need one. There are so many other items, including power tools, garden machinery, i.e. lawn mowers, that we can do this to as well. If you're in doubt as to whether our Project will accept your items, remember our aim of reducing landfill – we will strip the broken and unfixable item down to the ‘bone’ to reduce the whole item going to landfill and then some of this can be recycled – this way only the bear minimum will end up there as opposed to the whole item.
In fact, anything you can think of, if it’s not working or can’t be fixed, we will strip it down to the ‘bone’!
We believe in reusing before recycling!
Community RePaint Network
The Project is a member of the Community RePaint Network, sponsored by Dulux. For further information visit the Repaint Network website using the link below:
We accept unwanted tins of paint from members of the public and businesses. Before selling on we ensure the paint is ‘clean’ and usable.
As a bench mark, the requirements are; if its emulsion (matt or silk), masonry or fence paint, the container must be more than half full. If it's specialised paint; varnishes, cupboard, tile, etc we may accept less than half a container as those wanting the paint may just need to ‘touch up’ an area. If you are unsure, please ask when you telephone to arrange to bring in your unwanted paint.
Through the Community RePaint Network we also receive a quantity of ‘end of range’ paints which are available for sale at the Project. These are full containers of paint and not been opened. Besides supplying paint for members of the public and businesses, we have supplied several large organisations in North Somerset. Amongst these is the Strawberry Line Café at Yatton, stage back drops at Glastonbury Festival, and the recently refurbished Control Tower at the Helicopter Museum at Weston super Mare.
Others we have supplied are several schools in the area, the rest room at Weston Fire Station, Children’s Playground for the Lions Valley Group at Kingston Seymour and of course many of your own garden fences, stone walls, front rooms, bathroom and kitchens and bedrooms!
During 2023 our Project received 619ltrs of paint and sold 1,118ltrs to 275 individuals and community groups.
Volunteers & Friends of the Project
As the Project is a non profit making social enterprise, I rely on a handful of very dedicated and reliable volunteers who assist me with preparing, fixing, striping and cleaning items which have been rescued from landfill. There is also a bunch of long standing customers who I like to call 'friends of the Project' and who help out now and again with maintenance and all sorts of things - in fact anything we can't do! I am so grateful to all these wonderful people who have helped me carry on my son's Project.
Special Thanks: During the period of closure of our store due to COVID 19, I have to mention the 'Fab Five' - without these volunteers, I wouldn't have been able to have achieved all that I wanted to enable the reopening of the store on 26 June 2020. These are Don, Helen, Jean, Mick and Stewart – I'm eternally grateful to these truly really good guys who have made it possible – a huge thank you.