Partners in Promoting Reuse

New Harvest Trust works hard to help low income families, but it is also dedicated to promoting reuse and recycling. Recently Waste Exchange has been able to help them with both of their aims. 

New Harvest is a charitable trust that helps those experiencing hardship, such as the long term unemployed, by re-housing families for a minimum donation. It also works with people with mental health problems, helping them with recovery, upskilling them and offering life skills. Its work in re-housing combines the goals of helping others with that of reuse, by providing much needed reused goods on at a low cost to clients. 

When driving home one day last year Waste Exchange Facilitator Jim Forsman saw the trust building from the over bridge and never one to let an opportunity go by, Jim made a point of calling in on them. So far the trust has accessed items such as speakers and accompanying cabinet, theatre seats, and good quality lounge suites, sofas and lounge chairs.

“We use Waste Exchange periodically” said Anne, “but we also have referred people to Waste Exchange if we don’t have volume or time to assist.” Another advantage of the relationship is the contacts made. “Dealing with Waste Exchange has been good in that respect” Anne said. “We have been able to hook up directly with businesses, and we’ll take pretty much anything from them directly, or via Waste Exchange. 

“We have also been able to work alongside the Exchange service in promoting waste reduction and recycling. It is part of our mission is to promote those things, and to encourage people to consider those less fortunate and to think about what are dumping [when others might need or be able to use it].”