OUR IMPACT

Purchasing furniture from the Consortium is much, much more than just purchasing furniture!

Read our Impact Report

Since 2016…

0kg
diverted from landfill
0tonnes
equivalent CO2 emissions saved
0
reuse furniture items used
0
low-income households supported

OUR IMPACT ON…

The Planet

  • Every sofa bought from the Consortium diverts approximately 40kg from going to landfill and saves around 88kg of CO2e.
  • Reusing furniture saves 6 times more CO2e than simply recycling.
  • If every local authority in Scotland bought 100 reuse sofas that would be the equivalent of taking 250 cars off the road for a whole year!
  • This is the impact we make on creating a greener world and a more circular economy in Scotland.
Earth

Place – Our Communities

  • Every washing machine bought from the Consortium provides over £100 of vital income for a local social enterprise.
  • £100 pays for around 4 hours of training, leading to meaningful employment in our poorest communities.
  • If every local authority in Scotland bought 100 reuse washing machines, that would pay for 10 full time jobs in our communities per year.
  • This is the impact we make on building wealth in communities and creating a fairer Scotland.

People – Individual Lives

I started volunteering with the project 6 months ago as I was out of work and spent most days indoors doing nothing, I was feeling low and worthless and I needed something to get out of the slump I was in. When the CRNS project started I was involved with the delivery of furniture and white goods. Volunteering gave me motivation and a little self-worth. A paid position became available cleaning and refurbishing white goods and I was offered the job. It was a great opportunity not having worked for a long time, it gave me a boost to my self-confidence and allowed me to feel worthwhile….

Man wheeling washing machine
  • In 2021-2022 the Reuse Consortium provided 7 Local Authorities and 2 Housing Associations with 5,697 items of reuse furniture which supported 2,665 households.
  • Reuse items are around 20 – 60% cheaper than buying new.
  • If every local authority in Scotland bought reuse instead of new items, we could help twice as many people in need.
  • Consortium members provide jobs and training for local people and help make a positive difference in their lives.