Scrapheap challenge

Are you feeling crafty? Are you always on the lookout for odd bits and pieces to finish creative projects? A giant-sized cardboard roll to use as an elephant’s trunk, perhaps? Or some scraps of leather to use as ‘lizard skin’? If so, why not pay a visit to your local scrap store?

Scrap stores gather recyclable materials from a local business, usually free of charge, which reduces their waste disposal costs. For businesses, it’s also a positive public relations activity because it helps their image regarding environmental issues, and it benefits the local community.

Anything from old computer equipment to buttons is donated, as long as it is clean, safe and non-toxic. Scrap stores are not trying to be a cheaper version of popular high street stationers. Instead, they offer materials which are often not available elsewhere.

Instead of writing a shopping list and then going to buy the materials in the high street, you can take a trip to the scrap store and browse the shelves until you find a weird and wacky item that catches your imagination. Then you simply need to figure out what to do with it! Typically, scrap stores have plastic, wood, fabric, paper, cardboard, foam, foil, tiles and much more.Anyone can join scrap stores. Usually, they ask you to sign up as a member for a small fee, and then you pay between £1 and £5 per bag of goodies – all just waiting to be re-used as art and craft materials.

If you want to find a scrap store near you, visit the National UK Scrap Store website at www.childrensscrapstore.co.uk They have a list of about 100 stores throughout the UK listed by area and town.

Last Updated 06 December 2010