The coalition government’s ‘Big Society’ represents a major opportunity for reuse organisations to deliver more services with both the public and private sector, according to the Furniture Reuse Network.

Speaking to letsrecycle.com as the FRN published its annual business plan for 2011-14 last week, the Network’s chief executive, Craig Anderson, highlighted the government’s agenda for involving communities more in delivering services as one of a number of ways the sector could establish a “pioneering service”.

 ”There are major opportunities in areas such as the commercial sector, working with prisons and within Big Society. It’s a major opportunity to establish a pioneering service,” he said.

Mr Anderson noted that the FRN, which represents over 300 reuse charities and social enterprises nationwide, had encountered difficulties working with the public sector, but said that the Big Society concept, with its focus on civil society, could help to address this.

“We’re finding barriers working with the public sector but if they’re looking to save money, and the government wants to look at civil society, they have to take in the social and economic value of our work,” he said.

However, in the Business Plan, the FRN notes that while there are growth opportunities for the reuse sector within the Big Society agenda – such as by taking on bulky waste collections or running volunteering programmes – it needs to be proactive.

“The sector will need to engage to survive and grow, and to help design and build a bigger civil society,” it outlines in the Plan, while noting that it needs government support to provide social equality and distribute resources fairly.

As well as the Big Society, the Business Plan raises the potential for increased working with the commercial sector, in light of businesses’ corporate social responsibility, or CSR, agendas.

“Social, economic and environment value can be found through manufacturing and retailing of goods by supporting produce reuse endeavours and introducing product stewardship,” the Plan explains.

And, it also highlights the influence of environmental regulations, noting in particular the emphasis on reuse in the revised EU Waste Framework Directive, its drive for a network of ‘accredited’ re-users, and the CO2 savings from reusing products in comparison to other forms of waste management.

Mr Anderson explained that the challenge now facing the FRN was to represents its members in playing their part in responding to, and benefiting from, those market drivers.

“We come from a network about bringing people together,” he said. “To represent our membership better we have learnt that we need a strong organisation to be structured and strong so the Business Plan is about building that function so we can respond to various activities.”

In light of this, it is aiming to work more closely with both the public and commercial sector. In terms for the public sector this involves increasing members’ access to council ‘waste’ and providing support in areas such as procurement and contract commissioning.

The Business Plan is currently available to FRN members. However, an abridged version is expected to be made available shortly, and the FRN website reflects the details of the plan.

Furniture Reuse Network 

Source:  Letsrecycle.com