Recycle at ReStore

Looking to recycle or find recycled items for your projects? Habitat ReStore is a great place to start. They sell everything from surplus flooring, lumber and paint to secondhand appliances and salvaged cabinetry, all at steep discounts, and the proceeds stay with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate to help fund the construction of Habitat houses in their community.

It’s a good idea that’s getting even better. There are more than 600 Habitat ReStores in the U.S. and Canada and the number is growing. The first opened in 1992 when staffers at the Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Winnipeg, Ontario started getting more donations of construction materials than needed and found a way to put them to good use. The ReStores now sell more than $200 million worth of goods each year.

According to an interview with Kevin Campbell, Habitat for Humanity’s director of building industry relations, reported on Earth 911’s website, it’s a win-win situation. “Our primary goal is always to raise money for more homebuilding, but at the same time, we’re able to keep tons of potential trash out of the landfills,” explains Campbell. “The rule of thumb is that every dollar in sales equates to about one pound of debris being saved from the landfill.”

The general public is the primary customer at ReStore but the merchandise to be sold is donated by builders and others who contribute excess or salvaged goods. Consider ReStore as a resource but also as a destination for the cabinetry, appliances in working order, flooring and other materials pulled from your renovation projects. All donations are tax-deductible. Find your nearest ReStore in the U.S. and Canada.