About

The Edinburgh Remakery is an award-winning environmental social enterprise based in Leith, North Edinburgh. Founded in 2012, our mission is to put an end to waste by providing people and communities with the skills and opportunities to live more sustainably

On this page
Click on the links below to jump to sections

how we supportpeople

The pandemic left so many people socially isolated and experiencing chronic loneliness. Our Monthly Community Clubs offer an enjoyable way for people to come together once more and regain a sense of connection, building confidence and resilience, and improving the mental wellbeing and self-esteem of marginalised members of our community.

We work with charities and community groups across Edinburgh to provide support to their beneficiaries, and these clubs provide an opportunity for people to meet, socialise, take part in creative activities, learn new skills, or simply enjoy being with others; all within a safe and welcoming space.

The pandemic hit already disadvantaged and vulnerable the hardest and exacerbated the digital divide, causing even more people to fall into digital poverty than ever before.

Digital exclusion and social isolation is a reality for so many, most especially those individuals and families experiencing financial hardship as a result of lockdown and the spiralling cost of living.

Our Tech Gifting Project aims to tackle digital poverty and reduce inequalities in digital access by passing on a portion of all the reparable electronics we receive to people in need. We provide free laptops, computers, and smartphones to families and individuals who otherwise would not be able to afford them, giving them access to essential online support services such as healthcare, education, the job market, and enabling them to stay connected with friends, families, and their communities. In 2021 the Edinburgh Remakery helped 412 people out of digital poverty.

We provide valuable skill-building and training opportunities through our jobs, apprenticeships and work placements. Through schemes such as Kickstarter and No One Left Behind, we are able to create opportunities for those furthest from the job market or facing barriers to employment,, providing real opportunities for learning, skills, and confidence-building.

We also provide free educational workshops for community members who would benefit most from learning new skills and saving money by being able to repair and reuse what they already own. We teach coding to young people facing barriers to employment, and teach people of all ages how to maintain, repair, and upgrade their laptops and computers to keep them running better for longer. Our free sewing workshops have helped people learn creative techniques to make, mend, and reimagine their clothing and textiles, empowering them with new skills whilst building resilience and confidence.

how we support the planet

We champion the circular economy by stopping valuable items and materials – such as electronics - from going to landfill and causing pollution. Instead, we take in working and broken electronic devices, and repair and refurbish these, ready for them to be passed on and used again. We reuse everything we possibly can, and responsibly recycle only those elements that we can’t.

Our Tech Donation Boxes make it easy for members of the public to pass on their old electronic devices to us instead of throwing them away, and our Tech Disposal Service means that businesses can donate their old equipment to us safely and securely. Through these avenues we saved 39 tonnes of electronics from landfill in 2021.

Our workshops not only aim to build confidence and improve mental wellbeing, they also empower members of our community with the skills they need to live more sustainably.

Our workshops are centred around sustainable training in repair and reuse, providing techniques in mending, altering, remaking, and reimagining, we utilise ‘waste’ materials that would normally go to waste, such as old books or scraps of fabric, to fix or improve other items, or to make something new. Not only do these repair skills prevent waste, they can also save people money by diminishing the need to buy new/providing them with a sustainable alternative to buying new.

So much of the carbon emissions produced are through the production of new items. By promoting sustainability and repairing and reusing goods already in existence The Edinburgh Remakery prevents the need for more items to be produced, providing an environmentally-sound alternative to buying new. Reusing also prevents items going to landfill and causing pollution, stopping harmful chemicals and carbon emissions from being released in the process.

By championing the circular economy and promoting sustainable ways of living, we can provide a solution to pollution and the climate crisis.

IMPACT 2022

39% tonnes of electronics collected
1300% electronics refurbished and reused
90% educational workshops held
732% people taught new skills
154% laptops gifted to people in need
18% free community clubs held

Take a look at our monthly impacts here

Vision

To create a culture of sustainable, waste-free living, and protect our planet for future generations

Mission

To reduce waste by providing repair and reuse services and training to communities and businesses

Values

Culture

Putting planet and people at the heart of our actions

Courage

Have courageous conversations, speak the truth with integrity

Nurture

Creativity, innovation and passion

Respect

Treat people with respect through inclusivity and equality

Strive

to be the best at what we do, and make a real positive difference in our world

Collaborate

Adopt an open approach to working both as an organisation and within our communities to strengthen resilience, educate and communicate

Live sustainably

Choose to reuse

Accreditations

Friends, Funders and Supporters