The SCOOP Loop
The SCOOP LOOP embraces the Circular Economy to manage waste streams created at our community shop.
At SCOOP we aim to create a small scale circular system that can act as a case study for other businesses. Through the support of the Rural Initiative Scheme and several other awards, SCOOP was able to build the infrastructure required to valorise or eliminate operational waste streams. These include the SCOOP LOOP Drop-Off, commercial washing facilities and a production kitchen.
A policy document details our strategy to manage disposables, packaging, water, time and food, complete with risk assessments, partnerships, testing procedures, compliance, infrastructural requirements and product innovation. Read more about our policy in 'SCOOPLOOP; A transition to the circular economy', Authors: Dominica Taylor, Rosie Hill, India Hamilton.
Drop-Off and Recycling Facilities
COMING SOON!
Local residents are encouraged to bring their empty clean glass jars and wide necked bottles to our SCOOP LOOP glass re-use centre. Glassware is sorted according to lid size, sterilised in our commercial dishwasher and reused in our community kitchen, to create a closed loop packaging facility. Surplus packaging for imported produce, including crates, canisters and boxes, are left for local residents and farmers to repurpose as required. Any remaining materials are collected for recycling.
Processing surplus produce
Our production kitchen uses surplus produce from local growers, to help them manage fluctuations during the growing season, alongside excess or imperfect produce from the shop. We turn this into juices, chutneys, preserves, healthy snacks and ready meals. Food waste that can not be used in the kitchen is taken to the SCOOP wormery, or added to a composting facility. Castings from the SCOOP wormery are made available to local growers and gardeners as fertiliser.
SCOOP LOOP Partnerships
We build partnerships that eliminate or valorise waste. Woodside Logistics provide assistance that enables us to return empty canisters of cleaning detergents to SESI for reuse, creating a circular zero waste system for our refills. We collect offcuts from a local joinery to provide members with firewood in the winter. We use wood from museum exhibitions to build our furniture.
Closed Loop Take Away Service
COMING SOON!
SCOOP provide a closed loop takeaway service. Customers pay a deposit on a stainless steel tiffin lunchbox, which they return when they come to collect their next takeaway. Containers are sterilised between uses. Meals are prepared by a range of local chefs.