Partner spotlight: Habitat for Humanity
One of the trickiest parts of sending less to landfills is figuring out where else to send stuff so it won’t be wasted. Ridwell grew out of a curious kid’s quest to find a way for his family to recycle batteries. Now, we have a team dedicated to finding partners to recycle all kinds of materials.
We also seek out partners to help our community reuse a huge variety of items, from eyeglasses to pet leashes to leftover Halloween candy. To date, we’ve worked with 200+ reuse partners, generally local nonprofits in the areas where we offer service.
Habitat for Humanity is a Ridwell reuse partner in several locations: Austin, Bellingham, Portland, Seattle, and the south Puget Sound region. Items Ridwell members give to Habitat for Humanity include paint, hand tools, kitchenware, books, and holiday decor (exact items vary by location).
What happens after we pick up items for Habitat? In a few cases, they’re used for homebuilding and rehabilitation projects. Usually, they go to your local Habitat ReStore, where someone in your community will buy them—sales support Habitat for Humanity locally and globally.
About Habitat ReStore
Habitat ReStores are reuse stores that are independently owned and operated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations, making each one unique. There are more than 1,000 ReStores across six countries. Donating goods for reuse is a way to make sure your stuff stays out of landfills and do-it-yourselfers who shop there find great deals on materials, tools, and more.
ReStores divert hundreds of thousands of pounds from landfills every year! Everyone can use their local ReStore as a donation center that accepts goods for reuse and as a store to buy useful items at a discount, supporting the circular economy.
They generally accept and sell new and gently used items including:
Appliances - typically new or younger than 10 years old
Furniture - typically sofas, chairs, tables, dressers, bed frames, filing cabinets, and bookshelves
Building materials - typically kitchen cabinets, doors, windows, tile and wood flooring, unused lumber, lighting fixtures, fencing, bricks/blocks, bathroom fixtures, door handles, and cabinet pulls
Household goods - typically decor, kitchenware, art, lamps, and smart home equipment
Given that each store is run independently, many locations also accept items outside these categories. What you find at your local store will vary day by day and even hour by hour. For that reason, do-it-yourselfers can benefit from stopping by at the start of a new project to check off the supplies that are available on that particular visit.
Proceeds from Habitat ReStores go to the local community’s Habitat for Humanity office, where they’re put to work in the community. The offices can also put the funds toward their tithe, which helps Habitat provide shelter around the world.
Anyone can drop off a huge variety of items for reuse at your local ReStore. Many also offer free pickup of large donations like furniture and appliances. Look up the location nearest you >
