Five thousand square feet, eighteen months in the planning, scores of volunteers and one very tired van. All to create a Zero Waste Hub!
Today is blast off – the new Zero Waste Dunbar Hub opened this morning Monday 23rd October, and it looks fabulous!
The brainchild of Found partner Simon Glover (my honey!) and Sue Guy, the pair have created a re-use Hub that encapsulates their progressive and ambitious vision. Continuing the Zero Waste Dunbar Pilot, their company Miixer CIC, was born with the aim to divert tonnes of waste from landfill for community benefit. They sell quality items cheaply to our local communities, donate to local groups and charities, and support those in need with free goods. They have already opened a pop up Shop in Musselburgh, and their innovative clothing initiative "Big Pick", aims to eradicate clothing poverty in our County.
As many Found fans will know Simon loves a great salvage find. It was many years ago while sourcing materials for gallery displays and helping makers find the “right bit of wood” that a seed was sown. With the concept of connecting people with ‘stuff’ the company aims to facilitate local access to local waste; to develop and support opportunities for makers, entrepreneurs, teachers, and anyone else that wants to take advantage of quality stuff that would otherwise have been buried or burnt.
Walking through the industrial themed space it’s quite an eye opener that everything here is someone’s ‘waste’. It’s a eclectic mix of furniture, clothing, toys, home wares, nuts, bolts, tools and scrap materials presented in a funky style that’s more akin to a hip London warehouse than the local recycling centre. Second hand shop this aint!
Miixer is an acronym for make, innovate, incubate, extend, educate, reuse. With two shops now open the stage is set for the project to grow and these are the divisions they would like to develop. Creatives, c’mon down! Whether you’re looking for materials, project ideas, or looking to collaborate there is inspiration a plenty.
A simple idea, this is a gem of a concept that is a stepping-stone towards promoting a local circular economy and challenges us all to consider what we do with our unwanted items. Expect to be amazed, expect to spend way longer treasure hunting than you’d anticipated and expect to feel great; because whether you’re donating, buying, or volunteering, you will be supporting a wonderful socially responsible project in the heart of Dunbar.
For more info please visit www.miixer.org
Zero Waste Hub is open Mon - Sat 9 - 5pm and Sun 12 - 4pm
