Grant funding open to Scottish reuse and repair hubs

Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) has launched a new grant fund to support the implementation of reuse and repair hubs.

The fund, launched today (21 November), is designed to support ‘collaborative approaches to establishing large-scale retail hubs for repaired and reusable materials sources… with the intention of increasing the amount and quality of reusable materials sold in Scotland’. 

Scope for reuse and repair hubs

ZWS launched the fund today following on from a scoping report that found that there was ‘real opportunity’ for smaller reuse organisations (those trading less than 21,000 goods per year) to partner up with others to generate ‘the supply of quality goods needed to make a large-scale reuse hub work economically’.

Indeed, ZWS argues that a ‘high quantity of quality goods’, as well as collaboration across private, public, and third sectors are ‘essential to expanding the reuse sector in Scotland’, as they could create more jobs across the country and ‘relieve the pressure on increasingly scarce raw materials’.

The report reads: ‘The development of reuse and repair centre/hubs is aimed at progressing Scotland’s ambitions towards a circular economy by providing centres of excellence which maximise reuse and repair, creating jobs and training opportunities with skills to extend the longevity of products and the reuse of materials. These centres/hubs are relevant to both urban and rural communities of Scotland, addressing social inclusion considerations.

‘This project is to scope out a range of reuse and repair centre/hub models which could undertake a range of services and preparation for reuse activities.’

After examining several international hubs, the report recommends three potential reuse hub business models where the focus is on large-scale retail (more than 21,000 items) of reusable goods:

• a co-owned revenue distribution model, involving a group of geographically-common reuse organisations working collaboratively on a retail solution to provide sufficient goods to market and distribute the retail revenues back to individual organisations;
• a commercial guaranteed offtake model, involving a commercial retailer operating as a guaranteed offtake for goods collected, repaired, refurbished by reuse organisations, and purchasing goods at wholesale prices to offer guaranteed revenues, but generating profits; and
• a co-owned webstore model, which involves a reuse organisation or centrally-owned webstore to operate as a ‘lower-cost retail solution’ that acts as a central point of sale for reuse organisations of all sizes and geographical locations.

Fund criteria

As such, it has now opened the fund to support two-year trials of the selected models.  

The hubs could work in either rural or urban communities, and ZWS has voice a ‘particular interest’ in bids that look at reuse or repairing ‘high-value goods’, such as large home furnishings and electrical goods.

All third-sector applications need to be accredited members (or working towards accreditation) of Revolve, ZWS’s reuse standard.

Various funding options are available, and could cover operating costs, staffing, leasing space as well as plant and equipment, vehicles or other infrastructure. Grants will operate on a competitive basis.

The closing date for applications is 5 January 2015. Successful applicants must then complete a ‘detailed business planning phase’ made by 31 March 2015, and be operational by June 2015.

Those wishing to find out more about the fund are asked to fill in a form on ZWS’s website.

‘Progressing Scotland’s ambitions towards a circular economy’

Speaking of the reuse hubs, Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of ZWS, said: “A thriving reuse and repair sector has to be a major part of the Scottish economy in the future, as global pressure on resources [increases]. Reuse and repair hubs will also progress Scotland’s ambitions towards a circular economy by providing hubs which maximise reuse and repair, creating jobs and training opportunities, especially at a local level, with skills to extend the longevity of products and the reuse of materials.

“Today, Zero Waste Scotland is announcing both the framework and the funding to help develop the sector in communities across Scotland, which is one of our key priorities. We are encouraging local authorities, third-sector organisations and businesses to get in touch if they are interested in being involved in a collaborative bid for form a reuse or repair hub.”

Read the ‘Re-use and Repair Centres/Hubs: Scoping of models and outline business cases’ report.