ILM Highland, a social enterprise and charity, has announced it is expanding its warranties on refurbished appliances to encourage customers to think about the environment when purchasing for their homes.

The social enterprise has doubled its warranty from three to six months on appliances refurbished in its workshop in Alness. ILM hopes that this will encourage more people to consider the environmental impact of purchasing and disposing of large appliances, and also boost funds for the organisation’s charity work. Proceeds from all sales of new and refurbished items at ILM Highland go towards supporting vulnerable people in the area.

ILM’s Handyperson service offers help around the house to elderly and disabled residents as well as military veterans. The service carries out more than 3,000 jobs per year. Similarly, the Care & Repair service helps equip vulnerable people with the knowledge and suppliers they need to carry out more complex home improvements and adjustments, from installing accessible bathrooms to fixing structural damage.

ILM Highland collects waste electronics and appliances from all Highland Council recycling centres, as well as offering electronic recycling services to businesses across the region. The firm also offers uplift of old appliances when it makes deliveries in the Highlands. Appliances and laptops which are in good condition are fully repaired and refurbished, to be sold at discounted prices. Those which cannot be repaired are recycled responsibly, to reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfill.

Kenny Horsefield, Operations Manager at ILM Highland commented:

“We are big supporters of the circular economy, and believe that many products which are condemned to landfill can actually be preserved and reused for many more years, often with very simple repairs. By extending our warranties on refurbished appliances, we hope to encourage shoppers to think about the environmental impact of their purchases, and consider whether they really need to buy new.

“Every year, 23.9kg of waste electronics and equipment are generated by every person in the UK, and it is our mission to educate people about this. We encourage shoppers to think about their buying habits, and consider carefully where they make their next purchase.”