More than £1m raised by Greater Manchester residents through Renew scheme

Greater Manchester residents have raised more than £1million for local good causes by donating their unwanted household items and buying second hand instead of new through the Renew project.

The Renew scheme – which launched in 2021 as three shops based at recycling centres in Altrincham, Irlam and Oldham – sells items, from bikes to white goods, donated by residents at their local recycling centres. By reusing these items, the project not only saves them from going to waste, but in turn creates a source of good quality second hand products for a fraction of the price of new ones, helping residents to save money during the cost-of-living crisis.

The money raised in the shops, and now online through the eBay store, is channelled into the Recycle for Greater Manchester Community Fund and the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity. Through the Community Fund, 66 projects across the city-region have received a total of £660,000, with a further £300,000 donated to the Mayor’s Charity to combat homelessness across the city-region.

Community Fund projects combine creative ways of increasing recycling through community-led activities and programmes, such as repair cafes, composting workshops, textile upcycling, cookery courses and even a podcast.

Cllr Tom Ross, GMCA lead for the Environment, Waste and Recycling, said: “Greater Manchester is leading the way as we shift our mindset from seeing the things we no longer want as waste, and instead as a valuable resource that can be reused, repurposed or recycled.

“Greater Manchester residents have been instrumental in the success of the Renew project and with their help, I believe we can build a thriving, green and sustainable economy for the future.

The scheme depends on Greater Manchester residents donating items at their local recycling centres and shopping at Renew in store and online. Christmas is a key time of year for Renew and the charities it supports, and Greater Manchester residents can continue to support the success of Renew by donating at their local recycling centre.

Residents can also shop at one of the three locations:

Woodhouse Lane Recycling Centre:

Woodhouse Lane, Altrincham, WA14 5TB

Arkwright Street Recycling Centre:

Arkwright Street, Oldham, OL9 9LZ

Boysnope Wharf Recycling Centre:

Liverpool Road, Eccles, M30 7RH

Or shop click and collect by visiting:

The eBay page for vintage and upcycled items: Ebay.co.uk/str/renewgreatermanchester

The online shop for affordable everyday items: renewgreatermanchester.com