THOUSANDS of pounds worth of dumped items could instead go to charity if a scheme to get households identifying prized possessions is successful.

A six-month trial at two waste collection centres in North Yorkshire will allow trained staff to help residents decide if their unwanted items are suitable for charity.

Items ready to be dumped at North Yorkshire County Council-owned Catterick Bridge and Northallerton Household Waste Recycling Centres will then be donated to re-use charity, Frade if deemed suitable.

The council said unwanted but valuable items including tables, chairs, pictures, toys, home and garden items would then be sold at affordable prices at Frade's newly-opened charity shop on Northallerton's High Street.

Michael Bertram, chief executive officer of Frade, said: "We’re delighted to be involved in the trial and we hope that some great items will be donated for us to restore and re-sell in our Northallerton shop which opened last month."

“This is another fantastic way for us to support the local community by selling household goods at an affordable price and giving people the chance to volunteer, make new friends and learn new skills.”

The waste centre's which are run by Yorwaste on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council, asked the charity to be involved in the six-month trial because of its focus on "reducing poverty and waste."

North Yorkshire County Councillor Andrew Lee, executive member for waste management, said: "One of our priorities is to divert waste away from disposal and look for innovative ways to re-use and recycle.

“We also hope the trial will make life easier for Household Waste Recycling Centres customers by enabling them to donate items to Frade at the same time as taking other rubbish for disposal.”

The charity said it would collect bulky items for free from across the county to help support the scheme to tackle wastage.

Emma Bagley, contracts management at Yorwaste, said the group hoped the trial would be a success meaning it could be rolled out further across the region.

She said: "The new year is a great time to start the trial when people might be taking the opportunity to have a clear out - the Household Waste Recycling Centres provide a huge opportunity to harvest items for reuse, so we hope the trial will be a success.”