Staff and trainees of Wood Recyclability Ltd
A leading Aberdeenshire social enterprise has launched an appeal to help it continue to grow and provide vital training and employability services for adults with additional support needs.
Wood RecyclAbility, based in Pitmedden near Ellon provides work placements for adults with learning disabilities to turn waste wood into furniture and wildlife products.
In recent years the organisation has suffered from external factors, including the rapid growth of the biomass industry, which has resulted in its supply of waste wood being decimated and, despite a recent generous donation of barrels from craft brewery, Brewdog, it now urgently requires new sources of material.
Brian Reid, operations manager of Wood Recylability, said: “We are appealing to local businesses, particularly in those sectors which produce a large amount of wood waste, to contact us and allow us to take this material off their hands. This can include pallets, crates or scaffolding boards.
“By providing us with this material you are preventing it going to landfill and enable us to continue to provide a vital service for vulnerable people across Aberdeenshire – giving them an opportunity to undertake training and be part of a vibrant working environment.”
Wood Recyclability celebrated its 21-year anniversary in 2018 and currently employs 11 members of staff and provides placements for more than 30 adults with additional support needs – the equivalent of 468 training hours.
Elinor Smith, chairperson of Wood Recyclability, added: “The service we offer is truly one of a kind and we are really proud to be an active part of the local community. Therefore, we are asking local businesses to help us continue to provide a lifeline service for those who attend each week.
“Even a small percentage of the waste wood from businesses such as homebuilders, sawmills or builders’ merchants would go a long way to providing sustainability for our organisation.”
Since 1997 the organisation has grown to manufacture over 30 different products and has prevented more than 30,000 tons of waste wood from going to landfill. In addition to products for retail sale, Wood Recyclability has also provided 8,500 tons of wood chip for the manufacture of fibre board for the construction industry.
Waste wood including dry timber, whisky barrels, joinery off-cuts, pallets and floor boards can be delivered to the organisation’s base at Cloisterseat Croft, Pitmedden, AB41 7PR for free. Unfortunately, some materials, such as wet sheet materials (MDF, ply and chip board), painted/treated wood and very small pieces cannot be accepted.