The Brighton & Hove Wood Recycling Project

Every year, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of perfectly useable wood are simply thrown away, to be dumped in landfill, mainly by industries which use wood in building and construction; packaging and joinery.

Our History
Brighton & Hove Wood Recycling Project was set up in 1998, in response to the lack of recycling and re-use facilities for wood waste in the Brighton area, and is the first organisation of its kind to exist in the UK. Our solution is to collect wood from all kinds of local businesses, and put the re-useable timber on sale to the public at the Wood Store in Circus Street, Brighton; a recycled timber yard.

Achievements and Success
We have increased the amount we collect year on year, and have also reduced the amount we send to landfill. We are now collecting around 450 tonnes of waste timber a year, and return less than 1% of this to the waste stream. See our Achievements page for more details.

Not only are we saving waste and resources, we also generate employment. We have built up the business of wood recycling to provide seven paid positions, as well as offering volunteer placements.

Innovators and Award-Winners
We have created a successful self-financing business model with environmental and social aims; an innovative approach which has been recognised with awards for Recycling and Social Enterprise. The business model has since been replicated by many further wood recycling projects opening across the UK, with assistance from the National Community Wood Recycling Project.

Social Enterprise
As a not-for-profit Social Enterprise, our income is derived from the charges we make for our collection service and from sales of wood and wood products. Any surplus will be reinvested in the Project, or given in grants and loans to other local environmental groups.

Volunteer and Training Placements
We offer volunteer placements and training, and encourage people interested in the Project and its aims to get involved. Our volunteers come from all ages and backgrounds, and we specialise in helping the long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged and marginalised people to get back on the road to employment by offering training, skills and support.

Funding and Support
We are financially self-supporting and do not receive any funding for the running of the business, however some funds have been allocated to the volunteers via Global Grants in 2005-7, to cover their expenses. We have received non-financial support from Brighton & Hove City Council, who have provided low-cost premises for the Project since 1998.

The Future
Despite our healthy turnover, we are not a hugely profitable organisation and are unable to afford the high rents in Brighton & Hove. We are facing an uncertain future as our current premises have recently been sold for a major redevelopment. We are working with the council and the new owners of the site to secure our position here for as long as possible; to find a new site during the redevelopment; and potentially to return to the newly developed site.