Reading Borough Council is urging residents to return crutches, walking frames, shower stools and other unused health and social care equipment to the re3 Recycling Centre on Island Road so it can be cleaned, repaired and given to someone else who needs it.
Staff from Millbrook Healthcare, the Council’s community equipment provider, will collect the items from designated containers at the site, check them for safety, carry out any necessary repairs, then thoroughly clean and sanitise them before redistribution. Residents must book a slot in advance through the re3 website before visiting. The Smallmead Recycling Centre on Island Road is open every day from 8am to 8pm during the summer months, which run until 30 September.
Accepted items include walking sticks, pressure cushions and raised toilet seats, but they must bear a Millbrook or NRS identification sticker. Councillor Glenn Dennis, Lead Councillor for Adult Social Care, said the equipment is often only needed for a short period while someone recovers, and many residents keep items at home rather than disposing of them because they recognise the items still have value.
Anyone who cannot get to the recycling centre can arrange a free home collection by calling 0118 228 8701, a service that also covers larger items such as beds and chairs. The reuse scheme, announced on 7 July, is designed to cut waste, save money for the NHS and the Council, and keep essential equipment in circulation for people recovering at home or living independently.
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