BURTON FARM RECYCLING SHOP

• OPENED IN 2003 when WCC came up with the idea of diverting

saleable items away from landfill and into a site shop, run by a

charity to help raise money. First of it’s kind in UK, 3 national

charities declined the offer.

• Successful from the outset, all items taken in line with quality and

H&S standards. There are restrictions that WCC impose eg paint,

mobile phones, batteries etc. but anything else is sold.

• In 2008, the hospice financed an extension to create a dedicated

donation area and electrical department, such was the demand for

more space.

• In 2010, the shop delivered a £1 million PROFIT for the Hospice

which was a fantastic result, and has diverted hundreds of

thousands of tonnes from landfill over the years.

• 2011 has seen a decline in footfall to the site but despite this, the

shop continues to deliver a substantial profit. 2012 has seen a

reduction in opening hours by WCC in a cost-cutting exercise. We

will monitor the effect this has on sales.

STAFFING

• We employ 4 full time equivalent staff, and have community

service volunteers as well. Normal volunteers are hard to recruit

due to the environment. Currently, we have only 5.

• Paid staff are vital to the success of this type of venture.

CHALLENGES

• Van restrictions on site have limited the type of items we can

accept. Only items that fit into a car or 4’ trailer can be brought on

or collected.

• We can’t tout for business, WCC agreement states that only items

brought onto site for disposal can be diverted to the shop. By

advertising, we may inadvertently increase waste should they not

sell.

• We can’t offer a collection service for reasons above

• It is a harder environment than normal shops. Cases of abuse are

higher here, and signs have been put up to protect staff.

REWARDS

• It is a fantastic selling opportunity that puts the charity firmly on

the map.

• It has the potential to take a lot of money, currently circa £230,000

pa and with high profit return

• It has the green element which is important to may customers and

donors alike. We recently won the green business award at the

Pride of Stratford event which was fantastic and boosted morale for

the team

Following the success of this shop, we are opening a Furniture Store on

21st April. It is based on an industrial estate in Stratford upon Avon, 3100

sq ft and will allow us to sell items we currently can’t at Burton Farm and

offer a collection and delivery service. We will also be able to advertise

for stock which will be a great advantage. The two shops will run side by

side, stocking different stock (with some crossover) and we hope this will

be as successful as our current site. I am looking at the possibility of

diverting bulky waste collections by offering the customer the

opportunity to donate saleable items to us rather than paying for kerbside

collections. This will need to be closely monitored for quality and we are

meeting with SDC in the near future to discuss.

Please see YOU TUBE “much ado about recycling” for more information

on Burton Farm