Donate your unwanted items

If you started the year with a clear out at home, an initiative to redistribute unwanted items gets under way today, Tuesday.

The OIC and Orkney Zero Waste are running an amnesty on January 10 and 13, with donated items passed on to local charities.

With most households experiencing an influx of shiny new goods as part of the festive season, many of the old items find themselves headed for the local dump.

In 2016, the OIC shipped away 117 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment for re-processing.

In an effort to reduce this figure in 2017, on January 10 and 13, from 10.30am to 2pm,  items will be accepted at Steptoze Yard, Stromness, and the Garson and Hatston amenity sites.

They can also be taken to Scott’s House, at Hatston, where staff will be on hand to give advice about recycling and re-use.

Any reusable items, provided they are still in working order, will be accepted, including electrical items, furniture, clothing and toys.