CROSS HILLS company Airedale Chemical is donating its waste to help schools and community groups.

The company has teamed up with social enterprise SCRAP which runs family arts and crafts activities using recycled goods.

Airedale Chemical is donating weird and wonderful waste, ranging from balls of wool to outsized cardboard tubes, which would otherwise be sent to landfill.

The partnership with Farsley-based SCRAP – the Centre of Creative Play and Learning. – has also enabled Airedale Chemical to boost its Corporate Social Responsibility policy and commitment to the environment.

The lorry load of textiles, bottle tops and containers will provide hours of fun for the users of the centre, who include schools and local community groups taking part in workshops, training, art drop-in sessions, family learning activities. They can also use the SCRAP Store to buy materials.

Karen Waddington, health and safety advisor for Airedale Chemical, said: “We have been working really hard on our environmental policy over the last couple of years but this has been one of the most fun and rewarding projects we’ve been involved with.

“To see the items which were previously being thrown into a skip or sent to landfill become puppets, rockets and art projects for the young people visiting SCRAP is fantastic.”

Zoe Smith, customer support co-ordinator and waste sourcer at SCRAP, added: “Something as everyday as a sheet of bubble wrap can fuel the imagination of children and students and become the beginning of something wonderful, educational or just fun.

“We rely upon businesses like Airedale Chemical to be able to provide the activities we do in the region. We’re helping the environment by re-using waste materials from businesses as resources for art and play, and Airedale is helping us deliver this.

“Here at SCRAP one person’s rubbish really is another person’s treasure”.

Daniel Marr, group head of marketing at Airedale Chemical, said the company was fully aware of its obligation to support local communities.

He added: “Our relationship with SCRAP is just the beginning of many more exciting ventures involving charitable groups and worthy causes in the region.”

Airedale Chemical received a silver award for Best Environmental Practice at the most recent Green Apple awards run by the Green Organisation. It also received a gold award for its zero waste to landfill scheme which saw over two tonnes of waste go to recycling in the first month.

Airedale Chemical is a family owned company, established in 1973, which manufactures industrial chemicals, surfactants, phosphates and phosphonates for the UK and Europe.

SCRAP, based in Sunnybank Mills, Farsley, Leeds, is open to the public from Wednesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Visit scrapstuff.co.uk for further information.