Herefordshire Reuse and Recycling Organisation (HRRO)

 Today, Mary & I attended the official opening of the Herefordshire Reuse & Recycling Organisation at their new warehouse. Our invitation was through Hereford Open Door, a local charity supporting homeless people in Herefordshire for which we are both trustees (I am also the treasurer).

This organisation started about 4 years ago with the aim of, as their title suggests, reducing the amount of landfill waste by providing a service and facility to enable the reuse and recycling of unwanted items. As a non-profit organisation it donates any earned money from the sale of items to local good causes. It is a facility that Hereford Open Door would use to purchase items for our work - including furniture for a homeless person just entering unfurnished accommodation.

From its early origins in a cricket pavilion on Widemarsh Common, it now has a large warehouse, part of which is the shop displaying for sale items. For those on a limited budget, it is an Aladdin's Cave of clothes, furniture, toys, utensils, white goods, furnishings, bedding, etc.

Photo 1: HRRO Warehouse and Offices

Photo 2: Furniture Department

Photo 3: Household Furnishings

Collections are by arrangement, often through house clearances, but there are some handy recycling bins for everyday items. In Photo 4, there are bins for postage stamps, spectacles, small ink cartridges, scrap metal, electrical cables, aluminium foil and cans, and bras.

Photo 4: Recycling Bins I

In Photo 5, there are bins for Babybel cheese wrappers, biscuits wrappers, Tupperware/drinks bottles, bread bags, water filters, Pringle tubes and cheese wrappers.

Photo 5: Recycling Bins II

Certain items are collected for a very specific local group; e.g. Babybel wrappers for Herefordshire Girl Guides. The manager and volunteers are always looking for new opportunities to reuse/recycle those items that nobody seems to want. At Hereford Open Door, we are often asked it we take duvets (we don't, but we do take sleeping bags which are more practical for someone who is homeless). Apart from animal shelters and vets, we haven't been able to find a suitable home for  these. HRRO are still looking ...

We did enjoy some tea and cake and bought a few items (two vinyl LPs and a jigsaw).

The shop is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. Support it if you can.

Note: Jesse Norman is the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Herefordshire.