Sustainable Wheatley’s Swap Shops are run usually 4 times a year in the Merry Bells village hall on Saturday mornings from 9am to noon.
They are intended to encourage re-use of unwanted items and reduce the volume of material going to landfill.
9-10.15am Local residents bring along portable unwanted household items that are too good to throw away but which others may be able to use. These are put on display in the hall.
10.30am-noon Doors are opened for anyone to come and look around and take anything they might find useful. Despite the name it’s not necessary to bring something to take something away, and no money changes hands (although we do ask for donations to cover the costs of hiring the hall and a van to take away what’s left)
Anything left over at the end of the session is disposed of as appropriate through various channels e.g. Freecycle, charity shops or recycling.
Nearly 3 tonnes of waste is diverted from landfill each year this way; avoiding 4 tonnes of CO2 emissions and saving the council significant waste disposal costs.
Some basic rules:
Items must be brought between 9am-10:15.
Small domestic items only, one person must be able to carry it.
A description of bulkier items including contact details can be posted on a notice board.
Mains powered electrical items must pass a Portable Appliance Test (PAT), which we can carry out on the day.
There are numerous local waste and recycling opportunities so we do not accept:
– Dangerous items e.g. knives and other sharp objects
– Old carpets
– Broken goods, or goods with parts missing etc.
– Shoes or clothes
– Cosmetics, paints and liquids
*See the Sustainable Wheatley Recycling Guide for suggestions on how to dispose of some of these things as well as a host of other items
During 2022 alone, approximately 1 and a half tonnes of items were saved from landfill.
Sustainable Wheatley 