East Lothian Community Gardens Supported
Most of us don’t think twice about what happens to wooden pallets once they’ve done their job transporting goods across the country. In fact, many of them end up in a bin or are left to rot in landfill. But here’s the thing: those pallets could be doing so much more than just taking up space. Instead of getting thrown out, they could be transformed into something creative, useful, and environmentally friendly.
On Friday, the 6th of July, 2025, at 8 am, Heron Bros set off on their mission across East Lothian. Four hard-working community organisations needed pallets for various projects. This involved a trip from their site at Queen Margaret University to Prestonpans and then to Haddington. Then back to site to load more pallets before venturing out to Dunbar, and their final drop at North Berwick.
Heron Bros is the contractor currently building the Edinburgh Innovation Hub, a significant joint venture between East Lothian Council, Queen Margaret University, and ESES City Region Deal.
A core aim of Heron Bros own Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) and an objective of their work on this project was to actively create new habitats and restore existing ones in the area. This strategic focus was driven by the desire to not only achieve a substantial positive environmental impact but also to significantly enhance and promote biodiversity, ultimately leading to a healthier, more resilient local ecosystem.
Each Local Authority Area in Scotland has a Third Sector Interface (TSI), which provides the third sector with a single access point for support and advice. ESES Community Team became aware of the need for pallets through their relationship with Carla Allan, a Community Engagement Partner at the Volunteer Centre East Lothian (East Lothian’s TSI). You can read more here.
Donations of materials like these can significantly reduce costs for local organisations, freeing them from the challenge of sourcing additional funds for purchases.
It's fantastic to see these pallets given a new lease on life by local community gardening organisations in East Lothian. These groups are truly leading the charge in local food growing and actively sharing their knowledge and skills within the community. Their innovative use of these pallets has created a significant positive environmental impact by reducing waste and increasing biodiversity in the area.
Find out how each of the groups made use of the pallets here.