Across Northern Ireland, councils are adopting smarter, more sustainable approaches to resource use, putting reuse and repair at the heart of their services and strategies. By shifting focus from disposal to prevention, councils are reducing waste, saving money, and building stronger local economies.

Why Councils Should Embrace Reuse & Repair

• Rising waste management costs
  In 2021–22, Northern Ireland’s 11 councils spent £170 million on household and commercial waste management, making it the one of the largest area of council expenditure.  
• Reuse and repair save money
  Keeping products in use longer reduces the volume of waste that needs to be processed or landfilled. Initiatives like repair cafés, reuse shops, and tool libraries lower disposal costs and reduce the need to buy new, creating savings across procurement and waste budgets.
• Boosting local jobs and resilience
  Community-led reuse and repair initiatives support local enterprise, create employment, and keep wealth within the community, delivering social and economic value without increasing council spending.

 NIRN Local Authority Network – Connecting Councils

NIRN hosts quarterly Local Authority Forums to strengthen collaboration and share knowledge among councils across Northern Ireland. These forums provide a dedicated space for local authorities to exchange ideas, showcase successful projects, and stay up to date on developments in reuse and repair. From practical project updates to policy insights, the sessions offer hands-on learning and peer support to help councils embed circular economy principles into their operations and community services.

Representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) also attend these meetings, ensuring clear communication between councils and central government and supporting progress towards a zero waste and highly developed Circular Economy, as set out in Northern Ireland’s Environmental Improvement Plan.