Help With Home Improvements

Louise Oskam first heard about Waste Exchange several years ago, when she took part in the very first workshop of Christchurch’s Sustainable Households Project (www.sustainablehouseholds.org.nz). 

Louise and husband Tony have made good use of Waste Exchange in the last few years to help renovate their house and section. When Louise moved into Tony’s house she saw that there was ‘room for improvement’ in the garden department. “Tony had about three plants in his garden, even though he has a very large section” Louise said. “I insisted that we at least have a glasshouse for contained planting.” They got that glasshouse at no cost through Waste Exchange. “It was totally intact and in great condition. The family that had it wanted to get a trampoline instead, so they just wanted to get rid of it” said Louise. All Louise and Tony had to do was dismantle it and reassemble it on their property, whereas to purchase it new would have cost them around $3000.
In addition to the glasshouse Louise has also accessed some plate glass from the Waste Exchange, and that was used in an innovative driveway fence. The idea was to create a fence through which their children can see the driveway, but that also kept them safely away from it and cars using it.
Louise’s husband Tony is an engineer and does a lot of renovation and work around the house. So far he has insulated and relined their house, and they have saved a lot of money by reusing things. Louise is even hopeful that soon Tony will be able to help other people out with their reuse by listing work-related materials on the Waste Exchange database that are of no use to him. As part of the Waste Exchange service, Facilitator Jim Forsman regularly sends emails to Louise (and others) about things he thinks she might be interested in, and when Louise is undertaking a new project (e.g. making a toy room or book shelf) she always checks out what Waste Exchange has that might be of use.