UNWANTED furniture and appliances in the borough are to be saved for needy people instead of being dumped in a landfill under a "pioneering" new scheme.

East London charity ReStore has signed a deal with Waltham Forest Council and its waste contractors Kier to collect bulky items in the borough which could be reused rather than thrown away.

The council currently collects sofas, mattresses and other large household goods free of charge from homes as part of efforts to combat fly-tipping.

But now when residents telephone the authority some pick-ups will be done by ReStore instead if it is believed the items could be reused.

Nadeem Razvi, chief executive of ReStore, said: “The three way partnership shows how the charity, private and public sectors can work together to create a scheme that provides tangible assistance to residents in improving the quality of their lives."

ReStore operates across a number of London boroughs but normally charges for collection.

It then sells on the items at a low cost to people referred to it by local authorities and those who can prove they are on benefits, on a low income, a student or a pensioner.

"It is a win for the resident that gets rid of their unwanted item and a win for the resident in need who gets to furnish their home,” added Cllr Clyde Loakes, cabinet member for environment.

"The council – and by extension the council taxpayer – avoids spending money sending waste to landfill or for incineration, and last but not least the environment benefits too.

“What one resident may no longer need could be just what someone else is looking for.

"The trick is identifying the need and working with our contractors and our charity partner to match it.

"Just make sure if you are having something collected for reuse that you don’t leave it out in the rain", he said.

It comes after the council revealed last week that the number of mattresses being dumped by residents in the borough has risen by nearly a quarter since last year.

The authority says it expects to collect around 25,000 bulky items from homes in total this year.

To request a collection call 020 8496 3000 or email wfdirect@walthamforest.gov.uk.

The service operates Monday to Friday until 10pm.