At the heart of the Cone Exchange is the commitment to see potential in everything and everybody.
The Cone Exchange is the flagship community project of Bettys & Taylors Group. We repurpose waste materials from businesses, alongside generous donations from our local community – literally turning trash into treasure, raising funds for local good causes and creating a sense of community and new skills for all those involved.
Where it began
It all began from a spark of genius from Cone Exchange founder, Chris Powell. Like everyone at the Cone Exchange, Chris is passionate about the three R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle.
“The idea came about when a boy who was visiting the Taylors factory on a school trip noticed a cardboard cone that was in the waste pile and asked if he could take it home to make into a Christmas angel”, Chris says. “He saw the value in rubbish, and it encouraged me to do the same.”
Within weeks more than 500 angels had been made and sold, with the proceeds used to set up a school gardening club via working in partnership with Starbeck in Bloom. It showed too how the community could benefit from repurposing waste. It was from that cone the Cone Exchange was born.
Where we are now
At the heart of the Cone Exchange is the commitment to see potential in waste.
We take our business waste, along with that of other local businesses, and then give it a new lease of life. The Cone Exchange shop is an Aladdin’s Cave of materials. From fabric off-cuts, to boxes, paper, hessian sacks, wool and plastic tubs, what we sell varies from day-today but typically you’ll find plenty of items for hobbyists, crafters and gardeners. And all the money raised from sales is donated to good causes.
Along with the shop, we also support social enterprises and charities by repurposing our waste and equipment and providing meaningful work experience for young people with additional learning needs. We also attend events and talks to encourage recycling and raise funds at the same time.
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How we help
All proceeds from our shop sales are donated to local social enterprises, including Horticap a local charity that provides horticultural experience for adults with additional needs as well as the Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust, which supports tree planting and tree preservation in Yorkshire, celebrating our passion for the planet.
Our partnerships:
