Preventing waste by reusing items is a good way to save resources and help the environment. Reuse extends the life of items and can include donating to charity shops, recharging batteries and reusing shopping bags.

Reusable Nappies

Real nappies are a cleaner, greener alternative to disposable nappies. They could also save you money!

The Dumfries and Galloway Real Nappy Project is helping to raise awareness of the real nappy options by providing information, offering lending buckets, and a cashback offer towards the purchase of real nappies.

• Find out more about using Real Nappies

Charity Shops

Charity shops sell and accept donations of reusable clothes, shoes, cutlery, books, CDs, DVDs, bed linen and small novelty items. You could help your local charity shop by donating items that are in good condition.  They are also great places to pick up a bargain and help a good cause at the same time!

• Find charity shops in Dumfries and Galloway

Textile Points

You can take a range of shoes, blankets and clothes to textile points at Recycling Centres and Recycling Points for reuse and recycling. Items put in textile banks are collected by a textile company and reused or if they are unsuitable to be reused they are turned into industrial cloth.

• Find out more about Household Waste Recycling Centres in the region
• Find out more about Household Waste Recycling Points in the region

Community Can Recycling

There are 3 community can recycling projects in Dumfries and Galloway which collect steel and aluminium cans:

• Annandale Recycling Project
• Moffat Can - U Can Recycle 
• Stranraer Recycling Group

Cans can also be recycled at certain Recycling Points or Recycling Centres where recycling banks are provided on behalf of the Council by Shanks Dumfries and Galloway.

• Find Household Waste Recycling Points
• Find Household Waste Recycling Centres 

Furniture Reuse

There are a number of community furniture reuse projects in Dumfries and Galloway which accept donated furniture and household items which are in a reasonable condition:

• Annan Can Refurnish - 01683 221847
• Barnardo's (Dumfries) - 01387 256446
• British Heart Foundation (Dumfries) - 0844 248 9151
• Nithsdale Furniture Project - 01387 720961
• Shax (Dumfries) - 01387 265475
• The Furniture Project (Stranraer) - 01776 707375
• Welfare Rights Charity Shop (Lincluden) - 01387 263999 

Online sharing networks

Online networks provide a quick and easy way for you to find a home for unwanted items in Dumfries and Galloway and pick up useful items free of charge. The Dumfries and Galloway Freeshare group is open to all who want to reuse their belongings by offering them free to others rather than disposing of them.

• Get involved with Dumfries and Galloway Freeshare 

Don't forget you can also use notice boards at your local supermarket or internal websites at work.