A ‘REUSE’ cabin has opened at Eshiels Recycling Centre – to bring unwanted household goods back into use.

The new facility will allow residents to drop off old bicycles, washing machines, fridges, furniture and garden tools.

Scottish Borders Council will then work with a number of local enterprises to bring the unwanted items back to life.

Reuse cabins have also been set up at Selkirk and Hawick tips.

And if the project proves popular at the Tweeddale site, the local authority says it will consider installing more around the region.

Councillor Gordon Edgar (Ind), executive member for roads and infrastructure, said: “This is a fantastic initiative which not only helps social enterprises in the Borders who are doing valuable work with the community but will have a positive environmental impact.

“In line with our #YourPart campaign, we would encourage residents to bring along unwanted items to help others.”

The opening coincided with the recent Recycle Week initiative, to encourage members of the public to dispose of their waste correctly.

Charlie Devine, head of resource management, at Zero Waste Scotland said: “Promoting reuse and repair is a key commitment set out in the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy strategy, Making Things Last, and this new reuse cabin in the Borders is a fantastic example of how simple actions can be taken which hold the potential to make a big difference.

“Often, perfectly usable items are discarded and sent to landfill because they are no longer wanted.

“Collecting them for reuse is the best option for the environment and more sustainable – after all, the materials it takes to make them, sometimes including rare earth metals, are not in limitless supply. By keeping things in good use for longer, people can save themselves money and help the environment too.

“Recycling is another effective way to keep valuable materials out of landfill by turning them into a new product. We are encouraging everyone to recycle as much as possible – with a particular focus on plastic bottles which are often overlooked in the home, like olive oil, shampoo, or conditioner bottles.

“A total of 30,000 tonnes of plastic bottles are needlessly ending up in landfill each year, when they could simply be recycled using household recycling bins instead.”

Any items that are not in working order can continue to be recycled at the Borders seven community recycling centres, but not in the reuse cabins.