Thunder Bay – During the pandemic, many people have been taking time to remodel their homes, or clean up years of unneeded or unwanted stuff.
George Carlin might have once said all a home is for most is a place to keep their stuff while they go out and get more stuff. That has changed for a lot of people over the past months.
There are some solid options for donations. In Thunder Bay we have the Salvation Army, Mission Clothing, Twice is Nice and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore as good charities which you can choose to make your donation mean something for the community.
Not surprisingly, Canadians have long been motivated to do their part to help the environment.
According to a new survey by Habitat for Humanity ReStore (Habitat ReStore), while they do well when it comes to recycling smaller items, their habits do not translate to household items and building supplies. Canadians are nearly twice (82 percent) as likely to always recycle items like cans, bottles, cardboard and paper than they are to recycle household furniture such as chairs, couches or lamps (42 percent).
The survey by Habitat ReStore, the non-profit home improvement retail enterprise, operated by the charity, also found that Canadians are more likely to put their home décor items, like a lamp or couch, directly into the trash instead of donating it to a local charity such as the Habitat ReStore. This means that each year, millions of items end up directly in landfills.
Over the past 30 years, Habitat ReStores have diverted nearly half a million tonnes of waste from landfills, giving new life to gently used household items from kitchen appliances, such as refrigerators, stoves and dishwashers, to furniture and even smaller home décor items. “The Habitat ReStore is an answer for those looking to donate or for those looking to purchase household goods that are eco-friendly and affordable,” says Jim Waechter, Director, ReStore Success and Product Support, Habitat for Humanity Canada. “With an uptick in renovations and home upgrades, we’re hoping people keep Habitat ReStore in mind instead of throwing out perfectly good items. And for those upcyclers out there, there are treasures waiting to be found at every one of our 100+ Habitat ReStores across Canada.”
This year, Habitat ReStore, the social enterprise that helps fund homes that Habitat builds, is celebrating its 30th anniversary and in honour of this milestone, the charity is calling on Canadians to help reach its goal of keeping one billion pounds out of the landfill by May 2022. “We’re asking Canadians to help decrease our collective carbon footprint by donating to or buying from Habitat ReStores and at the same time, help to tackle the issue of affordable housing in their communities,” says Waechter.
For more information on the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and to locate one near you, please visit. https://habitat.ca/en/restore
