Diversion Milestone!
Winona Habitat ReStore reaches milestone of diverting 3.5 million pounds of materials from area landfills

Since opening in 2003, the Winona Habitat ReStore has diverted 3.5 million pounds of materials from our landfills. What does three and a half million pounds look like? Its equivalent to 350 adult elephants or 82 school busses fully loaded with kids.

Every item is coded and assigned a diversion factor so that ReStore’s environmental impact can be tracked on a daily basis. “Three and a half million pounds is a significant achievement. This has been a total community effort. We are so proud of the partnerships that have been created with our local community members and our ongoing partnership with the Rochester Area Habitat. ReStore is a win-win for everyone! Community members are able to dispose of their unwanted materials in an environmentally responsible way, community members can fix their homes up in a more economical way and Habitat is able to capture the proceeds and turn them back in fulfilling their core mission” said Nancy Iglesias, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity Winona – Fillmore Counties.

ReStores, which number eleven in Minnesota and more than 700 nationwide, sell new, surplus or gently used appliances, furniture, cabinets, flooring and building materials. The new, gently used and salvaged supplies are donated by individuals, contractors and suppliers. Some materials are diverted to Habitat homes under construction and others are sold directly to the public, but either way, the proceeds from Habitat ReStores are supporting the ongoing mission of Habitat’s goal of partnering with families to create simple, decent and affordable homes

ReStore participates in Habitat for Humanity International’s overall environmental goals by diverting usable materials away from the waste stream, while promoting responsible stewardship of natural resources.
From popular items like cabinets and furniture, to doors, windows, plumbing and electrical fixtures, Habitat ReStore offers an alternative and cost effective way to dispose of reusable items at no cost and with a tax benefit to the donor. Donations are accepted only during store hours due to limited staffing and processing space. Winona’s ReStore hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. ReStore has experienced a significant increase in after hour donations. This creates several issues, so we respectfully request that all donations be made during store hours. Items are often ruined due to weather, and then we are forced to pay to have them removed. The high cost of disposing of these items takes away from our ability to build more homes.

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