Celebrating Earth Day with the Asheville Habitat ReStores

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With Earth Day just around the corner, it’s an ideal time to reflect on how the Asheville Habitat ReStores fit into not only our mission and community, but our responsibility to minimize our waste. Our ReStores play a crucial role in recirculating saleable goods within our community at affordable prices. Every item purchased at the ReStore—a gently used piece of furniture, a salvaged building material, or a pre-loved appliance—helps fund Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity’s Homeownership and Home Repair programs. This sustainable cycle not only supports families and individuals in need of safe, affordable housing, but also keeps material objects from the landfill while giving them a second chance at life. Read on to learn more about how we minimize our impact on the environment while maximizing our impact on our community.

Waste Diversion:

2,851 tons of waste diverted from landfills in 2023.

In 2023, the Asheville and Weaverville ReStores diverted 2,851 tons of waste from the landfill. If you’re wondering what that looks like, that’s the mass of roughly 1,400 passenger cars — or more cars than can fit on the Golden Gate Bridge at once! Through a steady stream of cabinets, appliances, furniture, housewares and, yes, even cars, donors in our community kept a veritable San Francisco traffic jam worth of material flowing through the ReStores last year. Gently loved couches that might have been tossed at the transfer station were instead re-homed to people in need of seating on a budget. Volunteers repaired large appliances that had given up the ghost, breathing new life into sturdy old machines with new parts. And excess glassware donated by local restaurants found itself back in style, rather than back in the bin. Though the sheer volume of usable goods kept out of the ground can be hard to conceptualize, the results are not: in 2023, proceeds from the sales of these items helped 16 qualified homebuyers purchase a home in partnership with Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, and 56 homes in our community saw crucial repairs affordably completed with the help of our Home Repair team.

 

Fabric Recycling:

14,760 pounds of fabric recycled through Green Zone textile recycling in 2023.Back in early 2020, the ReStores found themselves in a (mostly positive) pickle: local animal rescue shelters that had been taking accumulated unsaleable fabrics and textiles from the stores could no longer accept them. The shelters, which had been using the fabrics for bedding and cleaning material, were so well supported that they no longer had any need for them. To continue keeping the unsaleable textiles out of the trash, Asheville Habitat connected with Green Zone Recycling. Green Zone, based out of Durham, NC, is the largest textile recycler in the southeast U.S. market, and they have been picking up fabric by the (increasingly large) bag from the Asheville ReStore every week since February of 2020. To date, the ReStores have recycled over 43,815 pounds of fabric through Green Zone, with 14,670 pounds recycled in 2023 alone!

 

Deconstruction:

82 Deconstruction jobs completed by ReStore staff and volunteers in 2023.The ReStores don’t just accept donations of cabinets: sometimes we go and pull them ourselves. In 2023, the ReStore’s Deconstruction team completed 82 jobs, extracting reusable building materials prior to remodels or renovations performed by local homeowners, contractors, or businesses. According to a 2018 study conducted by the EPA, “the construction industry contributed more than 600 million tons of waste to landfills, and of that 600 million, 90% was contributed from demolitions.” Our Deconstruction program not only diverts usable material from the landfill, but it also provides an important source of funding for Asheville Habitat by reselling extracted items into the community through the ReStores. Learn more about our Deconstruction program and its economic and environmental benefits in this article by Deconstruction Supervisor Colin Bristow.

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Blue Ridge Service Corps Spotlight: Natalie McNally

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Over the last six months that Natalie has been apart of our Decon team, she has learned how to extract cabinets and granite tops while keeping them intact, disconnect light fixtures and ceiling fans from both the electrical and mounting brackets, disconnect waterlines from sinks and drains, and more.

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Blue Ridge Service Corps Spotlight: Evan Johnson

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Evan has spent the past nine months as a member of the ReStore’s Deconstruction team, a group of Asheville Habitat staff and volunteers that extract reusable building materials like kitchen cabinets, appliances, and bath installations prior to demolition or remodeling.

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Deconstruction Volunteers: A 2020 Success Story

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If Donation and Deconstruction Manager Michelle Smith had been asked one year ago to predict the fruitfulness of Asheville Habitat’s Deconstruction program, her answer might not have been very positive. Smack in the middle of a 10 week shut down, the only deconstruction going on at the ReStore consisted of Michelle meeting the occasional contractor outside of shuttered ReStore doors to help unload donations of salvaged kitchens or bathrooms. From that vantage point, the year ahead for Deconstruction seemed pretty bleak.

Truck With Team

Michelle, Kevin, Bill, and Mary Kent on a jobsite.

Indeed, the restrictions in place for the next six months made in-home deconstruction jobs impossible for the ReStore team. When the decision was made in October to conduct deconstruction jobs in unoccupied homes only, Michelle was shocked by the community’s response. In 2020, the ReStore’s deconstruction team conducted more jobs than the previous year, in about half the time.

How is it possible, you may ask, to essentially double the productivity of a program that relies on entering homes and businesses in a year marked by a global pandemic that restricts exactly that ability?

The answer is quite simple: amazing volunteers.

In a year in which every single Asheville Habitat program was forced to pause or drastically reduce its volunteer capacity, volunteers for the small Decon team doubled, providing the capacity to meet the demand that unexpectedly arose from a community suddenly spending a lot more time at home, staring at their old kitchen cabinets.

Michelle And Kevin Ig

Michelle And Kevin unloading tools.

Kevin Campbell volunteered in the Asheville ReStore donation lane for about a year before the Covid shutdown began last March. He commented, “I missed the feel of community and comradery with the staff and other volunteers. With my background in the building trades I could have easily volunteered to help build Habitat houses but I wanted a different experience so the Restore was a perfect fit for me. Getting involved with the decon team allowed me to use my skills and help further Habitat’s mission.” And, indeed it has. Kevin has participated in numerous deconstruction jobs each month since last October, and his level of expertise, especially in items with detailed carpentry work, has been greatly appreciated.

 

Deconstruction jobs range from small, 2 hour jobs removing a few bathroom vanities, to multi-day, whole house

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Tom, Roger, Michelle and Mary Kent kitchen cabinets.

jobs with kitchens, bathrooms, doors, fixtures and more being removed and transplanted for sale at the Asheville ReStore. While for smaller jobs, 1-2 volunteers if perfectly sufficient, for larger jobs that spread over a whole home, additional volunteers make a huge difference in the amount of time a job takes, and the amount of ReStore resources- staff and truck hours- that are tied up. Michelle Smith commented on how incredible it is to work with such a professional team of volunteers who really know the value of time and who work hard to do a great job in a very efficient time. “They’ve even started joking with me when they complete a job in under two hours, saying they need more of a challenge!” Asking for more of a challenge in 2020 points to the high level of competence the volunteers bring to the team!

Teamwork

Roger, Kevin and Tom removing kitchen cabinets.

The result of these volunteers signing up to enter unoccupied homes to extract kitchens, bathrooms, doors, and more was a trickledown effect that benefitted homeowners of all backgrounds. People donating deconstructed items received great service at minimal cost and were able to divert their usable items from the landfill. Those who purchased deconstructed items at the ReStore found well preserved, quality products at a fraction of the cost of buying new. And all the proceeds from each sale help fund Asheville Habitat new home building and home repair programs.

The ReStore Deconstruction volunteer team certainly worked a monumental feat in an incredibly challenging year. But you know what they say about challenges… they just make you stronger, and thanks to an amazing team of volunteers, the Deconstruction program is poised and ready for whatever this year has in store!

The Asheville Habitat family would like to extend a huge thank you to the Deconstruction volunteer team, comprised of Bob Jordan, Charlie St. Clair, Charlie Franck, Bill Bumby, Kevin Campbell, Roger Gauthier, and Tom Weaver. Thank you for all your amazing, hard work in 2020!!

 

 

 

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Volunteer Spotlight: Tom Weaver

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By Marty Steinberg
It’s deconstruction day. Habitat for Humanity volunteer Tom Weaver arrives early, as he always does. He meets the homeowners, John and Irene, who have decided to donate their kitchen cabinets and appliances to the ReStore rather than see them go into the dumpster or to the scrapyard.

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A Treasured Partnership

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By Kristen Keefer

For ten years, Asheville Area Habitat has been partnering with Asheville Hampton Inn. The hotel network includes three Hampton Inns and one Homewood Suites by Hilton. Brenda Durden (pictured above), Chief Operating Officer for nearly 27 years, established this partnership ten years ago when her office reached out to Habitat about a renovation project. Brenda explained, “We have a great desire to give back to our community and support the work of several local organizations and Habitat was a great fit for us.”

When it is time to renovate one of the four hotel locations, Brenda reaches out to Habitat. Brenda shared, “We have donated thousands of items through the years with the hope of supporting a great organization doing great things in our community.”

ReStore associates and volunteers led by ReStore Donations Manager Jeff Bridgman or Deconstruction Specialist Dylan Haynes, assist in the quick removal of items like lamps, tables, sofas, artwork, televisions, cabinets, and granite tops. Brenda noted, “The team at Habitat comes in ready to jump in and help with whatever it takes to quickly remove items. Jeff coordinates the best people to handle every aspect of our donations. He is on site, so appreciative and easy to work with.  He makes our partnership one that we treasure.”

In addition to removing furniture and accessories, the ReStore’s Deconstruction team, led by Haynes, has also removed installations like kitchen cabinets and bath vanities from select properties.

By partnering with Habitat, Asheville Hampton Inn ensures that the items removed will not be discarded into a landfill. Instead, the donated items are sold affordably at the ReStore and proceeds contribute to funding affordable housing in our community. Both of these aspects are important to Brenda and align with Hampton Inn’s community-oriented values. Brenda explained, “By donating we know we are making a decision that is best for the landfill and helping Habitat be successful.”

Brenda has done an incredible job establishing and continuing a strong partnership between the ReStore and Asheville Hampton Inn. We are grateful for her efforts, as well as the partnership. On behalf of the ReStore, thank you Brenda, for all that you do! And, for the generosity of Asheville Hampton Inn and all the hardworking people that help make this alliance possible. We look forward to continued partnership in the years to come!

If you’re interested in becoming a ReStore Business Partner, please click here to learn more.

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A Glimpse into Deconstruction with Long-time Volunteer Tom Weaver

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By Kristen Keefer

On and off for over thirty years Tom Weaver has been lending a helping hand at Habitat jobsites in the U.S., Germany, and Poland. Around three and a half years ago Tom retired and just a few months later decided to try on a new hat as a Habitat volunteer. When presented with the opportunity to have the reverse of the building experience – de-installation from homes and places of business – he was intrigued. Tom recalled, “I quickly learned about deconstruction and said ‘that’s for me’!”

For homeowners, businesses, and building owners, Habitat’s Deconstruction program offers an alternative to sending salvageable items to the landfill. It is through the combined efforts of staff, property owners, and volunteers like Tom, that this process is made possible. Benefits serve all parties involved: property owners receive affordable removal of cabinets, fixtures and appliances; residents can buy these usable items at affordable prices at the ReStore; and landfills are relieved from the prospective burden of additional waste.

Knowing that the removed materials are sold at affordable prices at the ReStore, and that proceeds from sales help build affordable housing in Asheville resonates deeply with Tom. Being able to witness this process firsthand, while contributing to its motion is a reward that keeps him coming back. To date, he has volunteered six hundred hours of his time on deconstruction sites.

So, what is it like on a deconstruction site? Generally, Tom’s time is spent removing cabinets and countertops from kitchens and sometimes bathrooms. However, his experience extends to larger deconstruction sites like commercial businesses and hotels. Every deconstruction job is unique, contributing to both the challenge and satisfaction of the task itself. Tom’s message for prospective deconstruction volunteers: “Jump in! Go for it! Some people may get intimidated, but in the end you’re taking things apart, which is always shorter than putting things together.”

Tom’s cool, calm, and collected attitude carries him through obstacles on the deconstruction site. Never fretting when confronted with difficulty, he simply works through the tasks presented to him, adding new experiences to his skill set. Thank you, Tom, for your lengthy service with Habitat for Humanity, the immense knowledge you share on deconstruction sites, and your admirable attitude that is a reminder to us all to embrace our capabilities!

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Deconstruction: Doing the Heavy Lifting to Make Reuse Easier

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By Jonathan Dermid

One of the first things that someone might notice upon entering the Asheville Area Habitat ReStore is the vast amount of building supplies and home furnishings that fill our showroom floors. From small love seats to mammoth cabinet sets, we take pride in our ability to offer such variety to the community at affordable prices.

Ever wonder how we manage to receive something like a full kitchen set or a giant entertainment center? Moving, and in some cases de-installing items like these certainly isn’t easy. That’s where our excellent team of deconstruction staff and volunteers come in. But they might not have the panache of a television deconstruction show, as they instead gently remove everything from kitchen cabinetry to bathroom fixtures, flooring, and more.

Led by long-time Habitat staffer Bryan Ogle, deconstruction and ReStore volunteers work carefully to ensure successful transitions “from home to ReStore to home” and this week was no exception. Brian, along with volunteers Cherin Saxe, Tom Weaver and Cody Bassham worked all day at a home in Biltmore Lake to remove a 15 piece cabinet set (including granite countertops). Now, it is all set up in our lower showroom, available for purchase and waiting for its next home.

The items that come to the showroom floor through the deconstruction program supplement our constant influx of other donations, providing shoppers an even larger array of items to choose from. In addition, our deconstruction service helps reduce the cost of home-improvement for Buncombe County residents while simultaneously funding Habitat’s mission of building and repairing homes in partnership with low-income families. Learn more here.

Thanks to our great volunteers, usable materials that might have otherwise ended up in a landfill, are recycled for someone else’s home; all the while benefiting Asheville Area Habitat’s programs and the families we serve.

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