Eyemouth Community Recycling Centre (HWRC) in Gunsgreenhill was a more unusual location for a triple celebration as it welcomed a peloton of six cyclists – on pedal and e-bikes – during the sixth stage of the REPIC WEEE Cycle Network event on Wednesday 7th June 2023.

REPIC, the leading WEEE producer compliance scheme, which has partnership links with many Scottish local authorities including Scottish Borders Council, pedalled in to mark the 15-year anniversary of the UK’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment regulations, joined by representatives from TV and electronic equipment recycling specialists. The peloton included representatives from Optimum Eco Group which was recently announced as the parent company of CCL (North) Ltd and Restructa Ltd. The companies are leading recycling specialists for display, WEEE, batteries and secure IT asset disposals.

Optimum Eco Group announced it has hit a major milestone on behalf of REPIC’s members from the Scottish Borders and Edinburgh local authority sites – more than 1,000 tonnes of displays have now been recycled, equivalent to over 50,000 TVs.

Travelling as far as Morpeth today (Wednesday 7th June) a distance of 66 miles from Eyemouth, the REPIC WEEE Cycle Network event is the first event of its kind that has brought together the wider sector to celebrate the achievements of those involved in the reuse and recycling of waste electricals. In total, the 15 day, 15 location and 15 great stories event, will cover a distance of over 850 miles, from Alness in the Highlands to Sittingbourne, Kent.

Celebrating 15 great stories along the route, and joining up a network of AATFs, Local Authority sites, repair and reuse initiatives, the REPIC WEEE Cycle Network event is also providing an opportunity to look forward to what lies ahead in both the forthcoming WEEE consultation and the transition to a more circular economy.

To mark the occasion, Optimum Eco Group has pledged to donate £1,000 to charity, contributing to an overall £15k of charity donations which will go to a number of local good causes on the REPIC WEEE Cycle Network route. Optimum’s chosen charity, North Ayrshire Foodbank will use the donations to fund its vital work.

The WEEE Cycle Network event provided the perfect occasion to mark the triple celebration and an opportunity to express thanks to everyone who has contributed to achieving this milestone.

Restructa (Optimum Eco Group’s TV recycling arm) has enjoyed a close partnership with REPIC since 2019 and over the period the reuse and recycling of TVs has made great strides thanks to the company’s continued investment in new technology and training of its workforce. The company currently recycles over 1,000 TVs per day. CCL (Optimum Eco Group’s other specialist recycling arm) has widened the work carried out by Restructa to include several other waste streams including small electricals and batteries.

Louise Grantham, Chief Executive at REPIC, comments: “Today is about celebrating success collectively and saying a huge thank you. At a time when recycling unwanted electricals has never been of greater importance, it’s important to recognise what can be achieved when we all work together.”

Brian McMahon, Director at Restructa, adds: “The WEEE Cycle provided the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with REPIC and showcase how far we have come in the reuse and recycling of WEEE. Joining the event for over 125 miles has been an enjoyable experience as we mark our celebrations together, and using the occasion to pledge a charitable donation and give something back is the icing on the cake.

“As Restructa and CCL moves forward under our new parent company, we are confident that our relationship will only get stronger as we continue to invest in new, improved technology and continued training and development in order to continue offering our first-class service and expertise.”

The REPIC WEEE Cycle Network event will conclude on Friday 16th June when the peloton of cyclists pulls into the 15th and final destination in Sittingbourne, Kent around midday. The cyclists will have completed 850 miles across 15 days and raised a total of £15k for local good causes along the way.