The Appliance Recycling Group (ARG) has launched a four-year campaign which aims to donate £1 million worth of appliances to the Reuse Network.
The announcement coincides with Earth Overshoot Day (1 August), which is the date identified by the Global Footprint Network when global demand for resources and services exceeds what the Earth can regenerate in a single year.
“Earth Overshoot Day is a stark reminder of the climate crisis we are facing,” said Hannah Jordan, Commercial Manager at Reuse Network.
“By working across sectors and collaborating with organisations with shared values and goals, we are able to make significant strides to minimise our collective impact on the planet and support low-income households.”
When first measured in 1971, the day fell in late December, but has steadily occurred earlier in the calendar.
It has been estimated that the four-year plan could save 194,143kg of CO2 emissions from being produced. This equates to roughly 18 round-trip flights from London to New York, ARG explained.
The Appliance Recycling Group is a headline Sustainability Partner of this year’s ERT Awards, which will be another certified carbon neutral event. You’ll be able to meet the ARG team at the Awards on the day.
The group operates 14 sites across the UK and reuses more than 60,000 domestic appliances a year. So far in 2024, it has donated appliances worth more than £100,000 to Reuse Network’s charity members.
In 2021, it became the first UK organisation able to offer every major UK electrical retailer a carbon-neutral exit route for take-back and warranty returned electricals.
Each year UK households and companies discard two million tonnes of waste electric and electronic equipment. More than 40 per cent of this is made up of large household appliances such as washing machines and fridges.
The Reuse Network calculates that 29kg of CO2 is saved and £150 in household savings is created by the donation of just one washing machine, fridge or tumble dryer.
