A Suffolk hidden gem for your Christmas shopping

Re-use shops at Bury St Edmunds and Foxhall recycling centres could have the Secret Santa gifts, stocking fillers or Christmas decorations that you are looking for.

Either side of last Christmas, over 23,000 items were donated for re-use at Suffolk’s 11 recycling centres. From board games to bicycles, items are checked and are in great condition – they are just looking for a new home.

FCC Environment operates all 11 recycling centres on behalf of Suffolk County Council, and has two re-use shops at Foxhall and Bury Recycling centres.

The shops and re-use service are run by local charity, The Benjamin Foundation. The sales from donated items help to support their charitable work to provide local families with childcare, as well as mental health, youth, family and housing support services.

Paul Sinclair, The Benjamin Foundation’s Managing Director, said:

“The thoughtfulness of Suffolk’s residents to donate items through Suffolk’s recycling centres, and buy them at our re-use shops, really does make a difference in supporting the work that we do.

“This time of year, we tend to see a drop in people coming into the re-use shops. But I’d encourage people to reverse this trend for two reasons. Firstly, it’s a great time to donate items to help others enjoy Christmas; and secondly, we already have some great items on the shelves for stocking fillers, Secret Santa gifts, Christmas games and decorations.”

A recent poll undertaken by YouGov, on behalf of FCC Environment, found that the number of people buying second-hand items has continued to grow over recent years with 84% of respondents buying second-hand items, compared to 75% in 2022.

Overall support for donating and buying second-hand items remained high, with 87% of all respondents stating that they donate items to a charity shop of some sort.

In a different survey by First News, the UK’s only children’s newspaper, 70% of readers said that they would be happy to receive second-hand gifts this Christmas.

Councillor Chris Chambers, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy, Planning and Waste, said:

“I’m proud of our residents and our recycling centres for helping to protect the environment through re-use and recycling, but also for supporting The Benjamin Foundation and the families that they work with.

“The first re-use shop opened at Foxhall recycling centre in 2016, followed by the Bury St Edmunds location in 2020. The initiative has been a great success, generating over £530,000.

“Over 300 white goods have also been sent for repair, contributing to a CO₂ saving of 8,736 kg - the equivalent of baking 43,000 trays of mince pies, or 10 round-trip flights from the UK to Lapland.”

More detail about recycling and re-use shops in Suffolk can be found on our website, www.suffolkrecycling.org.uk or by following @SuffolkRecyclingCentres on Instagram and Facebook.

Follow @Re-use Shop Ipswich and @Re-use Shop Bury St Edmunds on Facebook for specific shop promotions.