Second hand kitchen retailer The Used Kitchen Company (TUKC) and manufacturer Symphony Group have signed an agreement to improve sustainability in the kitchen sector.

Marketing and retail sales director at Symphony Group Simon Collyns

It will see Symphony retailers encouraged to recycle their ex-display kitchens through The Used Kitchen Company, while also urging customers to recycle their old kitchens through TUKC.

Symphony is also encouraging its retail partners to embrace Kitchen Passport, which detail information such as the range and supplier of the furniture, worktops, appliances, sink and tap.

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The Kitchen Passport information is saved on a dedicated website, so it can be amended when the kitchen is sold in the future.

Symphony is encouraging its showrooms to create a Kitchen Passport for every kitchen sold and is launching awards to recognise retailers who embrace the scheme.

The Symphony Sustainability Award will recognise the showroom that recycles most kitchens through TUKC, and The Symphony Big Bucks Award, will be presented to the showroom that recycles the highest value kitchen.

Every scrapped kitchen creates around 1.2 tonnes of unnecessary landfill waste.

The Used Kitchen Company has saved over 18,000 tonnes of such waste, since launching the kitchen recycling concept in 2005.

It wants each kitchen to be equipped with its own Kitchen Passport, to highlight how the entire kitchen, or its component materials, can be recycled.

Marketing and retail sales director of Symphony Simon Collyns said: “We’re delighted to be collaborating with TUKC and our retailer partners to help extend the life of both ex-display and used kitchens.

“At Symphony we take our environmental responsibilities seriously and are currently working on a number of initiatives, through both our operations and product selection, which will reduce our impact on the environment.

“Extending the life of our furniture through this collaboration makes sense for us, our retailers, their customers and the environment so we’re excited to be involved.”

CEO and founder of The Used Kitchen Company Looeeze Grossman

CEO and founder of TUKC Looeeze Grossman added: “This is a major step forward for Kitchen Passport and sustainability within the kitchen sector.

“Our goal is to make it as natural to recycle a kitchen, as it is to recycle other household waste.

“We need forward-thinking sustainability partners, like Symphony, to help make that happen and thank them for giving Kitchen Passport their stamp of approval.”

The Used Kitchen Company was recognised twice for its strategic sustainability marketing in 2020, winning a PRCA DARE Award and Northern Marketing Award.