Case Study:
ILM Highland Reuse Partnership
ILM Highland, a charity and social enterprise based in Alness in the Highlands of Scotland, are working in partnership with Ecogenesys and the Highland Council to repurpose Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) from 26 recycling centres throughout the Highlands. This partnership has been successfully running for over 10 years without issue for any of the partners.
ILM Highland is a social enterprise which reduces electrical waste, protects the environment, and supports vulnerable people to live at home.
The geography of the Highlands can make this initiative a logistical nightmare to deliver, however ILM Highland have taken this in their stride having a huge knowledge base of the 25,600 square kilometres the council area covers.
The Highland town of Alness, where ILM Highland is based, has one of the highest areas of deprivation in the UK. Working in partnership with Ecogenesys and Highland Council has enabled ILM Highland to sustain 15 full time jobs and give on the job training to 2 trainees per year. This is vital to the local economy where unemployment remains at a significantly high level.
ILM Highland is the only company with an Approved Authorised Treatment Facility licence for WEEE in the Highlands. Each year, the partnership recycles over 2,400 tonnes of WEEE
ILM also operates a reuse department. All waste electricals are assessed and Domestic Engineers select any items that they identify could be repaired, refurbished and then sold in their onsite retail outlet. This makes refurbished laptops, tech items and large appliances available for purchase at reduced costs.
Since 2010, ILM has submitted 1,370 tonnes of reuse to the settlement centre.
Once items are repaired, PAT tested and cleaned, ILM sell them at a reduced rate to families who struggle to make ends meet due to being in financial hardship. Supporting these families is important to ILM, as irrespective of their financial means, all families should have a cooker to cook on and a washing machine to clean their clothes. Ecogenesys, the Highland Council and ILM Highland working in partnership can and continue to ensure this happens for the neediest people in our society today.
Over the last 10 years ILM has sold over 15,000 refurbished appliances to families throughout the Highlands. In doing this ILM has assisted 12,000 Households with savings of £2,250,000 compared to purchasing new products.
This also has an environmental impact where it has made 438,600 Kg of Co2 savings.
As a charity, ILM is a not-for-profit organisation, however where a surplus is made, this is reinvested into its charitable aims of supporting vulnerable people to be at home and to support its Care & Repair and Handyperson Services.