Pass it on Week – the new national week for re-use

The following information from Zero Waste Scotland:

Scotland’s new national week for re-use to take place from 7th to 15th March 

What is Pass it on Week?

Zero Waste Scotland is launching a new national re-use awareness week called Pass it on Week. We’re encouraging individuals, workmates, schools, colleges, universities, communities and organisations to hold events that spread the word that re-use is the new recycling, and second hand is not second best. We’re doing this through events, PR, communications and social media, to make as much noise as possible and give people as many chances as we can to give re-use a try.

Pass it on Week can be about swapping, and getting people to trade things they don’t want any more for things that they do. It can be about upcycling, and turning something tired into something inspired. It can be about repair, and getting the bug for fixing things again. It can be about borrowing, and setting up a ‘library of things’ like tools and equipment that people can borrow and return.

How do I get involved?

We’re holding free workshops to provide inspiration and ideas for the types of activity you could put on for Pass it on Week.

The workshops will cover:
– What is Pass it on Week?
– Ideas and inspiration for events
– Presentation from organisers of previous re-use events
– Promoting your event
– In advance: Marketing, PR and social media
– On the day: PR and social media

Please come along and join us! There will be workshops in:
– Edinburgh: Monday 12 January. Edinburgh University Godfrey Thomson Hall, off Holyrood Road.
– Glasgow: Wednesday 14 January. Glasgow City Chambers, George Square.
– Aberdeen: Thursday 15 January. Beach Ballroom, Esplanade, Aberdeen.

You can register now on our website

Who can get involved?

Anyone can get involved in Pass it on Week, and we think there are real benefits to the following groups to get on board:
– Re-use organisations – It’s a great way to get more donations and more customers in your store.
– Councils – It helps reduce the pressure on waste, bulky uplift and recycling services and can discourage fly-tipping too.
– Workplaces – It’s a great way to do fun activity in the office that brings people together, it’s great for corporate social responsibility and it can contribute towards reaching goals in your environmental management plan.
– Schools – It’s a great way to teach children about environmental issues and simple steps we can take to combat climate change.
– Colleges/universities – It’s a great way to help students save money by swapping and trading things, from clothes to textbooks and household essentials at the same time as reducing the environmental impact of the college or uni.
– Community groups – It helps bring communities together and make them more sustainable and connected and can provide people on low incomes with access to things they need.
– Individuals – It’s fun, social, helps you save money, and find things with character and history that you can’t get on the high street.

How do I get more information?

We will soon be issuing a Pass it on Week partner’s guide, literally stuffed with ideas for events, plus information on planning and organising events and promoting them. Expect this in your inbox in early December. We will also be creating a Pass it on Week web hub where you can list your events and download resources and materials. Details of that will also be issued shortly, so watch this space.

Who do I speak to for more information?

To chat to a member of the Zero Waste Scotland team about any aspect of Pass it on Week, please drop an email to Kim Young at kim.young@zerowastescotland.org.uk