Bargains for residents, good for the environment!
Bedford Whyalla is making furniture more affordable for local residents, while preventing usable items from ending up in landfill.
As part of Bedford’s contract to collect hard waste for Whyalla City Council, they occasionally receive furniture that is still in a condition good enough to be reused.
Bedford Whyalla Operations Manager Barry Chilton said rather than sending these items to landfill, they’ve started cleaning them up and making them available to the community.
“Over years of doing this work, we’ve realised there are so many items that could be rehomed if we gave them a clean-up, so we’ve decided to give it a try and see how the community responds.” Mr Chilton said.
“We're hopeful this will be a positive outcome for everyone involved by providing affordable furniture to the community; creating additional employment opportunities for people with disability; and reducing the amount of reusable furniture going to landfill.”
Mayor Phill Stone applauded Bedford for showing initiative to improve outcomes for the community and the environment.
“As we’ve become more of a consumer society, too many items are thrown out when they still have plenty of life left in them, so this is a fantastic way to extend their life, while helping residents get a genuine bargain,” he said.
Council’s Waste Officer Charuka Sanduni said these large items often contain a lot of materials that would be completely wasted if thrown out; and ultimately result in even more materials needing to be produced.
“This production impacts the environment unnecessarily, so initiatives like this help reduce this impact,” Ms Sanduni said.
“This aligns with council’s goal to reuse, recycle and reduce waste wherever possible, improving our environment and helping more people Enjoy Whyalla.”
Be sure to check out Bedford Whyalla’s Facebook page for all the bargains. At the moment, you can score a three-seater couch for $80; an office desk for $50; a wardrobe for $50; or a display cabinet for $100, all with free delivery!
PLEASE NOTE: furniture should not be dropped off directly at Bedford, as they are not a public drop-off facility. If you’re putting furniture out for hard waste and are unsure if it might be suitable for resale or reuse, you can contact Bedford on 8647 7711 – they can assess the items and determine if they can be reused. This prevents the possibility of items being damaged, weather affected or removed by others while awaiting hard waste collection.
For more initiatives helping improve the look of the city – as well as find tips on free waste services – check out our Enjoy Whyalla page.
Tips on how to manage wastes and other related links are also available at My Local Services App.