- Created on Wednesday, 04 December 2013 20:14
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By RENAT ABSALYAMOV
It’s been more than two months since Environment Day was celebrated, but Welland residents are still recycling.
Every week on the regular garbage collection day, they continue placing newspapers and squeezed pop cans into the proper grey and blue boxes and, along with household items, putting it at the curb near the houses, giving the materials and products a second chance to be used again.
“Reusing the old items (and waste) is very important for the society and the environment as well,” says Adel Esayed, the chair of Niagara College’s School of Technology Studies.
“It is also very important for the economy of the country. It allows you to save money and use the things for several times instead of just throwing it away.”
Shawna Luey, an international student adviser here, agrees with Esayed saying that it is important because if one looks at the places where people do not care about the environment, he or she can see the effect.
“You can see pollution in the air from diesel gas fuels; you can see garbage all over the place making a less beautiful public space,” says Luey, about the importance of recycling and reusing.
According to EnviroGuide, there is not only Emterra Environmental collecting Welland’s territory, but also 17 organizations ready to pick up reusable items up. Goodwill Niagara, Christian Benefit Shop, Salvation Army and the others take anything from batteries to bicycles and old furniture.
Electronics, household items, clothing, construction, scrap metal – almost everything is collected by the companies if the products are clean and in good condition.
“We take those items that other people no longer use,” says Karen Drobnich, the director of operations for Goodwill Niagara, St. Catharines, adding, “We pretty well take everything, everything and anything as long as it is not stained, ripped, turned, broken and cannot be resold.”
Launched as the non-profit organization helping community members with disabilities to find a job, Goodwill has expanded and become “one of the largest employers in the Niagara region,” providing not only jobs, but also such various training workshops as those for employment, culinary and retail skills, Drobnich says.
In Welland, the company, founded 100 years ago in the United States by Edgar James Helms, is represented by two stores, 572 Niagara St. and 1 Churchill Ave., and mainly aimed to help people in need.
Along with training and employment services advertised on the website, Goodwill accepts various reusable items including old furniture, appliances and clothing.
The procedure of the collecting old items is simple. All you need to do is to go to the back of the Goodwill stores and give your donations to the staff.
Everything that is not sold or suitable for the store is donated to the Third World, most often hats, purses shoes, belts, ties and soft toys.
Goodwill and other charitable organizations in Welland dealing with donations of various used household goods and clothing, such as the Christian Benefit Shop, Redeemed Goods and the St. Vincent de Paul Society – are not subject to taxation. As a result, it permits them to keep the prices of the reusable goods low for those in the community.
“Our children’s clothing starts from 50 cents to $2,” says the manager of the Christian Benefit Shop Margaret Manwaring, adding, “We feel really strong about helping people out.”
“We have to care for one another in this world; it is just so important. There is no greater gift than a gift of your time and a gift of your smile.”