THIS week marks Zero Waste Week (September 2 to September 6), where millions of people all around the world commit to reducing their landfill waste, while saving money, preserving resources and having fun in the process!

Enniskillen woman Diana McChesney is no stranger to reusing old items. In 2019, she started Fermanagh Free-cycle, a Facebook group that aims to find new homes for disused items.

It has now grown to more than 23,000 members, and encourages everyone to be more environmentally mindful with their unwanted possessions.

Earlier this year, Diana was a finalist in the 'Green Hero of the Year' category at The Impartial Reporter Community Champion Awards, in association with Encirc.

The Impartial Reporter: What is Zero Waste Week, and what are the main aims of the initiative? 

Diana McChesney: The main aim is to promote reducing, reusing and recycling. It also goes one step further by 'refusing' commercialism, and making an effort to use second-hand or pre-loved. 

When you buy second-hand, you are not adding to the raw materials that it creates to make something.

I am all for repurposing and upcycling items; just because something is imperfect or scratched, doesn't mean it's at the end of its life.

Often, these items only need to be sanded, or get a lick of paint or varnish, to get a new lease of life.

Thankfully, upcycling has became more popular in recent years, and it's becoming more fashionable and more normal to get something preloved and to make it your own!

How does the theme of Zero Waste Week correlate with the aims 'Fermanagh Free-cycle'?

The aim of Zero Waste Week goes hand in hand with the group. This week is a timely reminder to all of us that we need to make more of an effort to reduce waste.

It's scary to think that we are using Mother Nature's resources at a quicker pace than we can replenish them. The way we are living is not sustainable, and everyone needs to take action. 

People need to look after what they have and what they do with what they have.

We all need to take more accountability for where our items go. Now is the perfect time to start. 

What is the main message you are trying to get across during Zero Waste Week?

I suppose it's the need, among everyone, to be more conscientious about waste.

It's scary what people throw out, and it's crazy what people don't want any more.

Everything can have a use, so instead of throwing something out, have a think about who might need it, or how it could be repurposed. I want to normalise repairing and fixing up things!

We live in a society where a lot of people are struggling financially, so I am pleased that so many of the items that have gone through 'Fermanagh Free-cycle' have gone to people who have made great use of them. 

How can one person make a difference when it comes to recycling and reducing waste? 

People, at an individual level, can absolutely make a difference. Unfortunately, some have a mindset of, 'I don't have time', 'I don't care', or  'I'm just one person'.

People need to shift their mindset. It's not about one person doing everything perfectly, it's about everyone doing something to help.  

It's like a grain of sand on the beach. A grain of sand isn't visible on its own, but when you look at a beach, there are millions of particles of sand, all working together. 

This comparison is the same with recycling: When everyone's actions come together, it will result in a collective improvement for the environment.

Do you feel that Fermanagh Free-cycle has helped people become more mindful of waste?

I certainly hope so. There's 23,000 people now on Free-cycle, and where possible I am trying to help people set up more groups.

The more groups we have, the more people are diverting from landfill, and the more we divert from landfill, the less reusable waste is having to be dealt with unnecessarily.

Can you provide any examples of items that people should repurpose/reuse, instead of taking to the dump?

I often see people dumping things like caravan mattresses or foam mattresses, that won't decompose for years and years.

These items are very popular for van conversions, and they will always find a new owner.

I also see people throwing out so many things without thinking about an alternative use.

Ceramics, for example, make excellent planters for the garden. Prams and buggies are often taken to the dump, but will always find a new home on Free-cycle. 

Bicycles can be fixed up and passed on, as can kids' toys, such as walkers and 'Noddy' cars, as 99 per cent of the time, these items are in perfectly good condition and have years left in them.

Plastic toys in general can always be rehomed and reuse! 

Can you give an example of an item that gave you the most joy to see repurposed/reused? 

There are too many to name! On the Free-cycle page, we see first-hand what people take and what they reuse things for. It's mind-blowing!

Just last week, there was a lady who was clearing out a family member's house. She asked me to have a look at what could be reused, and we came across a very old cabinet unit that was vintage and quite historic.

It was the kind of thing that they simply don't make any more. It would have been a shame to have thrown it out, and it was repurposed later that day. 

So much stuff that isn't being made any more is being thrown out without much thought.

I feel that older items are like animals. Once they are extinct, they are gone; once these items are thrown out, they are gone.

Are there any ways that organisations such as Fermanagh and Omagh District Council can help?

This week, the Council will be promoting Zero Waste Week.

It's a sad fact that the Council are left dealing with items that should never have been thrown in the bin or  in the plastic recycling.

The Council aren't generating the waste, and it's really not the Council's fault.

The onus is more on the general public. They need to stop and think, before they throw something out, 'Is someone else going to use this?'

We have to normalise reuse, and keeping things out of landfill until it's not fit for reuse in the community.

Following on from Zero Waste Week, are there any other things you are planning that will help the reuse of items?

I am hoping to open a unit, 'Waste Revived', in coming weeks. It will be a social enterprise, situated in Enniskillen, that will specialise in selling pre-loved items for a social good.

The aim is to have stuff passed on cheaply to new homes to help the environment. It is in the early stages, but I am hoping to initially have it open for a few days a week. Watch this space!

If someone wants to get rid of things, speak to me first. Let's make sure that only the stuff that should be in a skip is put into a skip!