Our story
Glasgow wood recycling is a social enterprise and charity established in 2007. We are committed to reducing the amount of wood needlessly going to landfill by finding creative and socially inclusive ways to reuse this valuable natural resource. The wood waste that we collect from all over Glasgow is gathered and sorted at our South Street workshop, we then reuse it to make quality furniture and design bespoke pieces for home, businesses and social sector organisations.
We collect all kinds of wood... clean dry timber, whisky barrels, joinery off-cuts, lengths of wood, pallets, floor boards and solid wood doors, mdf, ply and chip board, solid wood, fencing ...and turn it into everything from planters, benches, tealight holders and spatulas, to outdoor classrooms. Even our gift vouchers are handmade from blocks of recycled wood!
Glasgow Wood Recycling work with other local organisations, creating bespoke pieces for projects. A few of these include Kilmarnock YMCA garden, where we created a beautiful green space with trellised seating area from a dilapidated car park; Bankhead Primary School's exciting outdoor space, a refreshing new area to spend break times; and Dalduff Farm wedding venue's rustic dining trestle tables and benches!
Volunteers are at the heart of what we do, and we also provide training courses for those keen to learn. We train volunteers in furniture making, with a number of modules to improve their employment prospects, and many graduates have found job opportunities as a result. Our six-week course, WOOD Unlimited course funded by Big Lottery. This aims to tackle social isolation through woodwork. It is a health and wellbeing-themed course aimed at reducing the impact of loss, isolation and loneliness.
Our advice
We have created a community with shared goals. Volunteers from the local community have been a big part of our success.
Our ability to create bespoke pieces for local businesses, schools and residents means we can really connect people with our ethos of recycling and upcycling in a tangible way that benefits everyone.
Our metrics
The number of people we train.
The products we sell.
Bespoke projects across the community.
