Eternal Benefits can find a good home for that old sofa

Cool!: An unwanted fridge finds a new home.

Council customers are being given the option of donating their unwanted bulky items to a good cause. Eternal Benefits, based on the Quadrant, has been collecting items of unwanted furniture and delivering them to people on low incomes for the last seven years. Earlier this year, they launched a new service, ReRun Ltd, to add reconditioned 'white goods' to the items they supply.

Now the charity has teamed up with Hull City Council's Waste Management section to give household goods, such as fridges, freezers, washers, cookers and three-piece suites a new lease of life. Customers, who call the council on 300300 to have their bulky items collected, are given the option of donating them, if they are in a good enough condition to reuse, to Eternal Benefits.

If they agree, their details are passed on to the charity, which will collect them free of charge within seven working days. The arrangement has advantages for both parties.

Graham White, project manager for Eternal Benefits which has a similar partnership with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "We couldn't operate without people's donations. Last year, we delivered about 4,000 items, which works out to about 15 to 20 items a day. "The increase in the number of items we receive will allow us to make use of our spare capacity and hopefully grow as an organisation to help even more people."

Ken Upshall, quality and development manager for the council service, said that the arrangement would greatly reduce the amount of money the council has to spend on preparing items like fridges for disposal. "It's great for everybody. We currently have to send fridges to a specialist dismantling company, which costs the council £50 per fridge. On other types of waste, we have to pay landfill tax of £50 per tonne. "By reusing these items through Eternal Benefits, we are substantially reducing these costs, giving our customers more choice and providing a big boost to a local social enterprise." The project will initially be run as a pilot scheme in the HU4, HU5 and HU6 postal code areas, after which, it is hoped, it will be expanded citywide.

To use this service, please call 300300