Many remodelers involved in jobsite recycling partner with Habitat for Humanity and its chain of second-hand shops called ReStores. Located throughout the country, the ReStores help divert construction debris that can still have a life elsewhere.
Personnel from the local ReStore will come to your jobsite to pick up the items that can be resold. “Every ReStore wants to be engaged with more and more contractors,” says Drew Meyer, senior director, ReStores. “Contractors love this opportunity because it’s a virtual circle where everybody benefits.”
Since the ReStore picks up the material, you save on disposal and hauling fees while your client will get a healthy tax deduction. Meanwhile, DIYers or other contractors save on building materials that aren’t necessarily spanking new, a growing trend, Meyer says. “With the challenging economy we’re having right now there’s a shift with people deciding they don’t need something brand new but would rather have something with a little bit of life in it,” he says.
Meyer says that ReStore managers are really enthusiastic about developing relationships with local contractors because it helps Habitat fulfill its mission of building homes for needy families. Members of the community are also excited to lend a hand rather than see their old fixtures or cabinetry end up on the junk pile.
Everything From A to Z
Meyer was recently out on a route with a ReStore driver and picked up two loads of cabinets. “The lady was remodeling her home and she found us on our website,” he says. “She felt so good that [the cabinets] were not going into the dumpster and was happy to have a positive impact on her community.”
In terms of what the ReStores will take, Meyer says it’s everything from A to Z and they’ve often taken A to Z. “As long as it can be resold or reused, we can take it,” he says. “Remodelers don’t have to haul it off. There’s no disposal fees. It makes your life easier and goes to a worthy cause.”
If you’re interested in working with one of Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores, simply go to their website, find the store nearest you, call the manager, and pretty soon disposal fees will be a thing of the past.
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