Transfer Station Collections in Action
In our last newsletter, we shared the news of our initiative partnering with Seattle Public Utilities to reduce furniture waste at the source. As a quick recap, the Repair Bank was awarded a contract to collect furniture items intended for the landfill directly from customers bringing them to the North and South Transfer Stations.
For those who aren’t familiar with transfer stations, they are facilities where solid waste is collected from the public, sorted, and then reloaded onto larger vehicles to be transported to its final disposal location. Transfer stations handle more than just trash though. There are areas designated for commonly recycled materials such as metal, plastic, glass, and cardboard, as well as a separate area for food and yard waste destined for composting. Larger items are also accepted for recycling, including tires, refrigerators, lawnmowers, grills, and more. For a more in-depth look at how they work, check out this informative story from the Seattle Times.
Our Fulfillment & Design Lead Lucie is ready to stop traffic… and waste!
How the Collections Work
At each event, our volunteers and staff ask customers if they have furniture they intend to unload. If they do, we assess the pieces and determine if they are items we accept and will be able to restore, and if so, they are loaded into our truck instead of the dump! Since August, we have held nine separate collection events between the two locations, and the results have been remarkable. Some days started slowly with only a trickle of cars coming through in the first few hours, while others were a constant stream of traffic that filled our truck sooner than expected.
The slowest day netted only 18 furniture items as a constant downpour made for a quiet day and also soaked some uncovered upholstered items on the way there, making them unsalvageable. Our most successful day brought in a whopping 64 items! As luck would have it, our team was in place when a truck rolled in with decommissioned furniture from a restaurant closure. All six of the tables and many of the chairs from that load have already been refurbished and are being enjoyed in the homes of their new owners.
Avoiding the Trash Heap
Many of the items saved by our team were in great condition and only needed a simple cleaning, but their owners needed to get rid of them quickly so the transfer station was the easiest option. When replacing furniture or preparing to move, please plan ahead to avoid being in the same situation. There are many great resources for passing along furniture to members of your own community that may not be accepted by other charities and thrift stores:
● BuyNothing groups ● Facebook Marketplace ● OfferUp
● Freecycle ● VarageSale ● Craigslist (yes, it still exists!)
If you don’t find a home for an item in your own community, check with us to confirm it is an item we accept. Click here for a full list of items we do and do not accept. To submit an item for donation, email donations@repairbank.org.
Results & Recruitment
Overall, our numbers so far have exceeded our expectations. In only nine events, we have rescued 318 individual furniture pieces totaling over 16 thousand pounds! More collection events are scheduled for 2025 and are included on our repair calendar. If you’re interested in volunteering to support one of these events, please contact volunteer@repairbank.org.
Together we can reduce furniture waste and also provide comfort and dignity to members of our community!
See you at Furniture Repair Bank!
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