We’ve had an email from Tasha:

We are a hairdressing scissors company trying to find a charity we can send old hairdressing scissors too?

If you know of any could you please let me know.

I don’t know of any – does anyone else?

What about charities that collect scrap metal in general? From what I’ve read, hairdressers scissors tend to be make from steel and that’s widely recyclable – does anyone know of any charities that collect steel to raise money from recycling?

I regularly get emails from people involved with small charities asking how to set up recycling programs that will help them raise money for their cause.

Collection/recycling programs have been part of charity fundraising for a long time, but recently most seem to have moved from collecting large amounts of low value items (such as stamps or milk bottle tops) to collecting more valuable items (such as broken jewellery, mobile phones or toner cartridges). There is a lot of competition now for those type of items – not only between the charities but because it’s so easy for people to sell them online themselves – but it’s still a good income stream for certain charities.

So how can smaller charities set up their own recycling schemes?
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Just an information post about a new campaign by Marie Curie Cancer Care:

I am writing to ask whether you would be interested in supporting Marie Curie Cancer Care during our diamond anniversary year. The charity provides high quality nursing, totally free, to give people with terminal cancer and other illnesses the choice of dying at home, supported by their families.

The charity was founded 60 years ago with the donation of a diamond engagement ring. Given that 2008 is our diamond anniversary, it seemed the perfect time to launch a jewellery recycling scheme.

The recycling scheme is straightforward. We are asking the general public to donate unwanted jewellery. Anything is acceptable – damaged pieces, odd ear rings, stopped watches, snapped chains, costume jewellery or the real stuff.

All the donations are processed by a professional recycling company. They hand sort every donation and either sell on the valuable pieces, or break-up/melt-down damaged items, and the residue is sold to a specialist scrap merchant.

The income generated will go towards paying for more Marie Curie nursing hours.

There are collection boxes in Laura Ashley and Marie Curie stores, but within the UK, you can also send donations direct to a free post address:

Marie Curie Cancer Care
Freepost
Central Recycling

(Photo by angood)