Water bill change boosts liquid assets

Jun 23 2009 by Amy Hunt, The Journal

Why old fridges can still bring a warm glow

WHITE goods which were consigned to the dustbin are being given a new lease of life for charity.

Appliances like fridges, freezers and washing machines, dumped at recycling sites in County Durham, are being rescued from the tip.

Waste management firm Premier Waste Management is providing East Durham Partnership (EDP) with white goods which can be reconditioned and sold on at affordable prices.

The scheme has proved so popular that the charity is selling around 50 a week.

The East Durham Partnership is a charity which provides household goods to disadvantaged people in the county.

The charity reconditions secondhand white goods and furniture, before selling it on at a very low cost.

Any profit made from the sale of items is used to create jobs at the charity for people who are currently unemployed.

Any items that cannot be fixed will be put into a waste, electronic and electrical recycling system and the components taken for recycling or scrap metal.

Kevin Hawkes at Premier Waste said: "Our household recycling sites frequently receive white goods from members of the public. Often there is nothing wrong with them or they are in good enough condition that they can be repaired.

"By supporting the East Durham Partnership we are not only ensuring that good quality items are reused rather than going to landfill, but also providing a very worthwhile charity with the very goods it needs to help people."

Ellen Foxton, of the East Durham Partnership said: "We have been repairing and selling white goods for a year and a half now and it is extremely popular. We recondition so many that we are not just providing a service for local residents, but also supplying them to other charities to help them raise funds too.

"This is a fantastic scheme that really gives access to quality, low cost goods, to the very people who need them."