When it Comes to Household Furniture, Donate Don’t Ditch

Not surprisingly, Ontarians have long been motivated to do their part to help the environment and while they’re doing well when it comes to recycling smaller items, according to a new survey by Habitat for Humanity ReStore (Habitat ReStore), their habits do not translate to household items and building supplies.

Ontarians are more than twice (83 percent) as likely to always recycle items such as cans, bottles, cardboard, and paper than they are to recycle household furniture such as chairs, couches, or lamps (37 percent).

Habitat ReStore, the not-for-profit home improvement retail store, operated by the charity Habitat for Humanity, also found that according to the survey, Canadians are more likely to put their home décor items, like a lamp or couch, directly into the trash than to donate 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 for Humanity ReStore is an answer for those looking to donate or for those looking to purchase household goods that are eco-friendly and affordable,” says Christina Skuce, Director of Philanthropy & Communications, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region. “With an uptick in renovations and home upgrades, we’re hoping people keep the 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 for Humanity 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 the Habitat ReStore and at the same time, help to tackle the issue of affordable housing in their communities.

Christina Skuce

For more information on the Habitat ReStores in the Peterborough and Kawartha Region, please click here.

About this survey:

These are the findings of a survey conducted by Habitat for Humanity Canada from April 16 to April 19, 2021, with a representative sample of 1,506 online Canadian adults age 18+ who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The survey was conducted in English and French.