Project Colt, Elland. Image: Hannah de Villiers
As part of a national campaign promoting ethical alternatives to Black Friday, the architect and design-show champion urged shoppers in West Yorkshire to buy ‘pre-loved’ ahead of Christmas.
Lynsey Ford, an ambassador for the Reuse Network, curated a second-hand pop-up shop with the Elland-based charity Project Colt for ‘Buy Nothing New Day’ – the Network’s annual initiative encouraging consumers to rethink purchasing habits during the peak shopping period.
She said: “We’re here to raise awareness – people can come and maybe find something as a gift for Christmas, or something for their homes.”
The Reuse Network supports charities such as Project Colt to redistribute usable furniture and household goods, with the dual aim of reducing waste and supporting community organisations.
An avid pre-loved shopper, Ford, who won Interior Design Masters in 2021, regularly used thrifted and recycled items in her designs. “I’ve always hated waste,” she said. “We’re throwing away so many usable, beautiful things every year.”
The campaign comes as a 2025 survey by HIPPO Waste, conducted via Censuswide, found more than 22 million pieces of furniture are thrown away annually. Figures from RightGreen show only 17 per cent of used furniture is recycled.
Describing shopping at charity retailers as a “win-win”, Ford stressed the benefit to both the environment and organisations in need of funding.
Project Colt, which hosted Ford’s pop-up in partnership with the Reuse Network, supports people in addiction recovery and low-income households – diverting 157,000 kilograms of reusable items from landfill and back into homes to fund its work.
Hannah Jordan, Chief Operations Officer at the Reuse Network, said Buy Nothing New Day intends to spotlight the ‘power’ of reuse. She said: “Reuse doesn’t just reduce waste; it strengthens communities and helps people rebuild their lives.”