Tonnes of fake and illegal items seized by trading standards officers in Falkirk are being recycled to reduce the waste that comes from destroying them.
Last week, two laden vans took a haul of seized goods containing everything from fake trainers and sportswear to counterfeit watches, tobacco and perfume.
They won't be seen again in their current form - instead being transformed into everything from air fresheners to surfacing for children's play parks, thanks to an innovative recycling scheme by a local officer.
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Until fairly recently, any counterfeit goods seized by Trading Standards were destroyed - either incinerated or buried securely in landfill.
But Falkirk Council trading standards officer Richard Thomson became more and more uncomfortable at the scale of the waste that was being created.
"Being a typical Fifer, I'm as tight as two coats of paint, as they say - so I hate waste at the best of times!" he said.
Richard began to think that there must be a greener way to get rid of the stuff and investigated the best way to dispose of goods safely and securely.
T&C Recycling, which works with LMB Textiles Ltd, are used by other Trading Standards officers in England and have been carefully checked so that "what they say is going to happen is what happens".
Many of the goods are taken to prisons where prisoners have been taught how to break them down into component parts that can then be used for something more worthwhile.
Soft rubber - for example tyres and trainers - is broken down to be used in children's playparks, while tobacco is mulched and turned into compost and alcohol is turned into air fresheners.
Any "designer" labels on counterfeit clothing is taken off and then given to various good causes, from children's charities to veterans groups.
Clothing that can't be be de-badged gets broken down and can go to the motor industry for use in vehicles.
Wherever possible, nothing goes to waste.
Richard took his idea to other trading standards teams across Scotland and found that they were keen to be involved.
The result was a bulging container full of goods from all over Scotland that was taken away for recycling.
As well as being a 'greener' way to dispose of goods, there is another good reason for councils to get on board. For security purposes, any goods seized had to be buried to stop them being retrieved from landfill - a procedure that can be very costly for councils.
Products such as vapes can also be very expensive to destroy, so the initiative is also good for stretched council budgets.
Many of the fakes are sold on social media and while many people see buying them as harmless, they can be dangerous, with toxic chemicals being used without any regard to safety standards.
The trading standards team also see the strong link to organised crime and know there is a good chance that your money will find its way to gangs linked to drugs and slavery.
"It's not innocuous - it's not just 'a guy down the road' making a wee bit of money on the side, there are strong, identified links to organised crime," said Kirstie Crosson, trading standards co-ordinator in Falkirk.
And there's a good possibility that while many of the goods are incredibly accurate, the quality will be shoddy.
"If you've not got much money and you spend £50 on a pair of trainers that last you a week, it's not great economy," said Kirstie.
