Schools and community groups win share of Aberdeen Reuse Community fund

The £5,000 annual fund is generated entirely through sales at the Reuse Shop at Hazlehead household waste recycling centre (HWRC), which is operated by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK in partnership with Aberdeen City Council. Each successful group will receive £500 to deliver projects that enhance sustainability, wellbeing and local communities.

Since opening in 2022 with support from the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund, the Reuse Shop has diverted more than 100,000 items from going to waste. The community fund ensures the proceeds directly benefit local people, reinvesting in projects across the city.

The ten successful projects for 2025 are:

• Seaton School – driving forward the ECO Schools Green Flag Award with a two-year sustainability action plan focused on waste, litter and recycling.
• Slopefield Allotments – boosting biodiversity with new sustainable planters, outdoor learning session and habitats for pollinators and wildlife.
• Braehead Primary School – launching the Bridge of Don Clean Up initiative with regular litter picks and dog waste facilities.
• Gray Street Allotments Association – mentoring Broomhill Primary pupils in gardening and food growing with new trees, seeds and composting equipment.
• Northfield Academy – expanding its pupil-led clean up programme with more equipment to involve a wider range of year groups.
• Masjid Alhikmah and Community Centre – continuing its food bank service, providing food packs for families most in need.
• Tullos Crescent Allotments Association – repairing and upgrading allotment fencing to improve safety and food growing opportunities for families.
• Your Love Rara CIC – delivering youth-led mental health and wellbeing workshops, including retreats, mindfulness sessions and creative activities.
• Westpark School – launching the Westpark Glow Up to restore pride in school grounds through a volunteer-led clean up and refurbishment.
• Rocking Horse Nursery – a sun shelter to allow the children to enjoy a shaded play area in the garden on sunny days.

Colin Forshaw, Production Operations Manager at SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, said: “We’re delighted to announce the successful projects for the second year of the Aberdeen Reuse Community Fund. These inspiring initiatives show how reuse can deliver real social value – not only be reducing waste, but also by reinvesting directly into the people and communities of Aberdeen.”

Zara Grant, Managing Director at Your Love Rara, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the SUEZ Aberdeen Reuse Community Fund for their generous donation in support of our upcoming mental health workshops for young people. This contribution will help us create a safe and supportive space where our young volunteers can connect, learn and build resilience together. Thanks to this support – we can sessions that make a real difference. Thank you for believing in our young people and the work we do.”

Aberdeen City Council Co-leader, Councilor Ian Yuill said: “I want to thank the staff at the Hazlehead Household Waste Recycling Centre and the users who have embraced the Reuse Shop. The Reuse Shop has exceeded expectations which has allowed the proceeds to fund these excellent projects.

“These projects will benefit communities in a range of ways, keeping communities tidy and providing services for families. It will be exciting to see how each project will develop.”

Applications for the 2026 fund are set to reopen next summer. Not-for-profits, charities, and schools are encouraged to apply. For further information, please visit here.