Residents at The Donkey Sanctuary have received a donation of road sweeper brushes from the local council thanks to a unique recycling initiative.
East Devon District Council’s StreetScene department donated several used street sweeper brushes to the Sidmouth sanctuary for the resident herd at the Donkey Assisted Activity (DAA) centre to use as back scratchers.
The plastic bristled brushes attached to the StreetScene road sweepers are normally disposed of in the general waste after around a month of keeping the streets of East Devon litter-free. These ones, after being deep cleaned, now have a new lease of life at the sanctuary.
“This is a great example of reuse and recycling, supporting a local charity. It’s wonderful to see how the donkeys are benefitting from these old sweeper brushes, which would otherwise have gone to waste,” said Councillor Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment – Operations.
Multipurpose
The brushes not only offer the donkeys the ability to scratch those hard-to-reach areas, but they also help the herd shed their thick coats as the temperatures increase. The brushes have been mounted at different heights to ensure they are accessible for the whole herd.
“We are incredibly grateful to StreetScene for donating the brushes for our donkeys,” said Sid Miller, DAA Equine Assistant.
“It is not only lovely to see them already benefitting from this kind gesture, it is great to know we are recycling items that would have otherwise been destined for the waste – a double win!”
Images © The Donkey Sanctuary.
