ELECTRONICS for £5 or less? This is just one of the ways Chris Blomeley is enticing people to the second annual Zero Waste Expo.

On Saturday the team behind Repair Reuse Recycle CIC will be celebrating in advance of Earth Day and showing people how easy and creative you can be in caring for the planet.

There will be refill stations open all day at Firstsite for people to fill old containers with household products, various African drumming workshops from 11am to 3.15pm, and upcycling sessions with Emmaus.

Alongside these interactive activities, shoppers can buy high-quality second-hand electrical items for less at 15 Queen Street, and join the launch of the organisation's first bicycle hire project.

Chris said: "It's all about the circular economy we're creating that benefits the environment and people of Colchester.

"As part of the bike project we're going to train 16 young people under 19 to be professional cycle mechanics with support from Essex Youth Service.

Gazette:

Chris Blomeley with containers of household products shoppers can fill their plastic bottles with

"Then quite uniquely, we'll be using the bikes they've repaired as the hire bikes.

"The refill scheme is how we're going to address single-use plastics. People will be able refill with our ginger-spiced washing up liquid, hand soap, shampoo or conditioner, or white vinegar.

"I've been using my containers in this same way for the past seven years and they're still going strong."

In the wake of broadcaster David Attenborough's stern warning about a climate change crisis, Chris wants people to understand how easy it is to "do the right thing".

Already Repair Reuse Recycle is responsible for saving up to half a ton of electrical waste each month by taking residents' unwanted goods, repairing them and reselling them in the shop.

He said: "I'm on a mission and we're doing it.

"But we definitely need a bigger premises because we're fighting for space in that little shop.

"If we could increase our capacity we could save a ton of waste each month. At the moment we feel our hands are tied because of the size of the shop."

Join the expo from 10am until 4pm.

To contact Chris about potential premises, email repairreuse@gmail.com or call 07799494797.