Osprey marks Scottish Housing Day with new sustainability pledge

Osprey Housing is marking Scottish Housing Day by launching a new initiative to encourage tenants, staff, and the wider community to stop and think before always buying new.

Osprey marks Scottish Housing Day with new sustainability pledge

Jane McWhirr and Cami Toderas

Osprey sustainability officer Jane McWhirr, who is leading the campaign, said: “This year’s Scottish Housing Day has ‘housing and the climate emergency’ as its theme, and we’ve decided to use this as the launch-pad for a long-term commitment to re-using, refurbishing, and upcycling wherever possible.

“We’ll be using our blog and social media to take our message not only to our own tenants but to people across the communities we serve.

“On Scottish Housing Day itself, we’ll be asking for people’s favourite local second-hand shops and their best tips for keeping reusable items out of landfill.”

By working with support organisations such as Aberdeen-based Somebody Cares, Osprey can ensure that furniture left behind when tenants move on is redistributed to people in need or sold to raise much-needed funds for local charities.

Ms McWhirr added: “We want to avoid sending leftover tenancy furniture to landfill at all costs so it is satisfying to think that items can be reused with some love, care and imagination, and we want to encourage everyone to get involved.”

Cami Toderas, manager of the Somebody Cares Hazlehead megastore, commented: “We recycle or reuse virtually everything we turn over, and giving new life to an old piece of furniture by transforming it is hugely satisfying for our team.

“This year has seen a record number of pieces repurposed, modernised and sold to a new owner.”

Osprey — which has around 1,800 tenants across the city, Aberdeenshire, and Moray — is also pooling resources in-house to create a mini version of the BBC’s Repair Shop.

Ms McWhirr concluded: “Between us, we have all kinds of practical and creative skills and we’re running a pilot to see what we can achieve as a team to support our overarching goal of becoming as sustainable an organisation as possible.”

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