The money was raised through the Kerb-it recycling scheme, which donates £1 to charity for every tonne of waste recycled.
Traidcraft Exchange, based in Team Valley, Gateshead, is the UK's only development charity specialising in making trade work for the poor in developing countries. Recycling and trade are particularly relevant at present, with World Fair Trade Day on 10th May focusing on fair trade and ecology.
Traidcraft Exchange is currently managing 14 major projects with a total value of about £5.5 million. These projects are directly benefiting 350,000 poor people overseas, with a further 1.4 million indirectly benefiting.
Heather Thompson, from Traidcraft Exchange’s International Development Department, said, "1,000 tonnes of waste into a £1,000 donation shows that you really can turn trash into cash. We are really grateful to Premier Waste Management for this donation, which will be used to help poor producers in the developing world to trade themselves out of poverty."
Every year, Premier Waste Management supports local charities and good causes with money raised through its "Kerb-it" donation scheme.
"We are happy to support the work of Traidcraft," said Tony Hitchens, head of marketing at Premier Waste Management. "By donating money based on the amount of recyclables collected, we can reward the hard work by householders and benefit local charities."
