Aberdeen Reuse Community Fund supports 11 environmental projects across city schools and communities

11 schools and community organisations from across Aberdeen have secured funding through the Aberdeen Reuse Community Fund 2026, sharing £5,500 to deliver projects focused on sustainability, biodiversity, recycling and community wellbeing.

The Aberdeen Reuse Community Fund, delivered by the city’s waste management provider SUEZ, reinvests proceeds from Aberdeen's Reuse Shops directly back into local communities.

Colin Forshaw, Production Operations Manager at SUEZ, said: "The Aberdeen Reuse Community Fund is a fantastic example of how local re-use can create lasting community benefits. Every item donated, purchased and re-used through our shops helps generate funding for projects that make a real difference across Aberdeen."

"This year we received a record total of 44 applications and an exceptionally competitive range of projects, demonstrating the passion that exists within schools and community groups to improve local environments, encourage sustainable behaviours and bring people together. We are delighted to support these projects and look forward to seeing the positive impact they have over the coming year."

Now in its third year, the fund has awarded a total of £15,500 to projects that will help create greener spaces, encourage sustainable behaviours in schools, reduce waste and improve recycling.

The successful projects for 2026 are:

1. Mamacita Foundation will create volunteering and employability opportunities for young people while rescuing reusable items from waste and making affordable goods available to residents.
2. St Machar Academy will expand its school allotment, helping pupils grow food, enhance biodiversity and develop practical skills while donating surplus produce to support local community food initiatives.
3. Tullos Crescent Allotments will install hot composters and wildlife habitats, helping to turn green waste into valuable compost while boosting biodiversity and reducing journeys to recycling centres.
4. Skene Square Parent Council will install a polytunnel to support food growing, outdoor learning and environmental education for pupils across the school.
5. Bridge of Don and District Men’s Shed will expand its school gardening programme, helping pupils learn about food growing, biodiversity and sustainability through hands-on outdoor learning and mentoring.
6. St Joseph’s Primary School will restore a long-disused wildlife pond and create a new biodiversity garden, providing pupils with hands-on outdoor learning opportunities while creating habitats for wildlife and pollinators.
7. St Peter’s RC School will expand food waste recycling and pupil-led litter reduction initiatives, helping children take an active role in reducing waste and creating a cleaner, more sustainable school environment.
8. Countesswells School will transform recycled materials into planters, bird feeders and wildlife habitats, helping pupils develop practical sustainability skills while enhancing biodiversity and reducing waste.
9. Mounthooly Forest Garden will develop an accessible community growing space, creating new opportunities for food production, biodiversity and outdoor learning while improving access for local residents and community groups.
10. Aberdeen Grammar School will install a solar-powered irrigation and rainwater harvesting system for its school allotment, helping pupils learn about sustainable food growing, water conservation and environmental responsibility.
11. Oldmachar Academy will launch a pupil-led environmental improvement programme, combining enhanced recycling facilities, biodiversity projects and climate awareness campaigns to help reduce waste and create a greener school environment.

Representatives from successful organisations gathered at the Bridge of Don Household Waste Recycling Centre to celebrate the awards and learn more about how re-use is helping to support communities across Aberdeen.

This year's funded projects include recycling programmes, biodiversity improvements, food-growing initiatives, environmental education activities and community re-use projects, reflecting the growing interest in practical local action to tackle environmental challenges.

Bridge of Don Men’s Shed said: “The money from SUEZ will support us with continuing our inter-generational work with primary school children. It is so valuable for them and for us, and it’s so rewarding to see their faces – they are the gardeners of the future.”

Aberdeen grammar school said: “The money from SUEZ is a game changer for us. We’re using it to get a solar panel powered, automatic irrigation system for our school polytunnel where we teach a horticulture qualification for our students. The tunnel enables us to grow all kinds of vegetables and gives our students hands on experience to gain vital skills.”

Since launching, Aberdeen's Reuse Shops have helped divert over 79,000 re-usable items from disposal, demonstrating how the circular economy can deliver environmental benefits while generating support for local communities.

The Aberdeen Reuse Community Fund will reopen next year, with schools, charities and community organisations across Aberdeen encouraged to apply.