At Merry-Go-Round, sustainability begins with community donations. They are the foundation of everything the organisation does, enabling them to reduce waste, support families, and promote circularity. Over the past year, they have processed 21 tonnes of donations—a 10% increase from 2022—showcasing the growing impact of their circular model. All the shop’s stock is second-hand, ensuring quality items find new homes instead of ending up in landfill. Additionally, free packs for local families, providing essential items to those in need, are entirely sourced from these donations, demonstrating how reuse directly supports the community.

Since taking part in Step Up to Net Zero in 2024, the organisation have recently shifted focus onto creative waste reduction:

Many families receive a baby box as part of the government initiative, but not all choose to use the mattress provided. As a result, Merry-Go-Round often receive these unused mattresses as donations; however, since they cannot resell them and the government does not take them back, they accumulate, creating a backlog that is addressed through creative repurposing. The organisation donate the mattresses to a local radio station, Gladradio, and another social enterprise, Girls Rock Glasgow, to repurpose as soundproofing material, ensuring nothing goes to waste.

Merry-Go-Round have also continued its journey with diverting non-reusable plastics by sending them to Rags2Riches, a community project that transforms them into new furniture for local community use.

Through repurposing and partnerships, the charity divert significant waste from landfill while empowering the local community with sustainable, affordable resources.

The organisation’s biggest challenge is that they do not generate most of their own waste—it comes from donations, meaning the team have no control over what is received or the volume. Donations have increased steadily over the years, which is fantastic for sustainability but also puts pressure on resources. Ensuring quality control while efficiently handling large volumes requires significant time, space, and volunteer capacity. Storage is an ongoing issue, as the shop often needs to hold onto items while finding the right reuse solutions.

Creative waste reduction helps, but more space would allow the charity to process donations more effectively. Additionally, encouraging people to embrace second-hand shopping and to donate responsibly requires continuous education and engagement. Some donations arrive in poor condition, adding to processing challenges. Despite best efforts, not all materials can be reused or repurposed. Diverting non-reusable plastics, such as sending them to Rags2Riches, demands ongoing research and strong partnerships. While these challenges are significant, they drive innovation, collaboration, and strengthen commitments to sustainability.

Merry-Go-Round’s goal is to deepen their commitment to sustainability by expanding waste reduction initiatives, strengthening partnerships, and finding new ways to repurpose donations. The organisation hope to improve their processing capacity with more space and resources, allowing them to handle increasing donation volumes efficiently.

Education and engagement will also be key—Merry-Go-Round want to encourage more people to embrace second-hand shopping and responsible donating, making reuse the first choice rather than an afterthought. Additionally, their aim is to develop even more creative solutions for hard-to-reuse items, ensuring nothing goes to waste.

By continuing to innovate and collaborate, Merry-Go-Round hope to set an example for circular economy practices, showing how a community-driven approach can create real, lasting impact.

Sustainability isn’t just part of their mission—it’s the foundation of everything they do.