A community recycling event happening later this month will allow Guelphites to recycle many items that normally end up in the landfill, or to learn about unique ways to repurpose them.
Re:Purpose Fest will be hosted by the Guelph Tool Library at Tytler Public School on Saturday, June 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“There’s a lot of things you can’t recycle and they end up going into the landfill. We are trying to keep as much of it out as we can,” said Re:Purpose Fest organizer John Dennis.
Items like VHS and audio cassette tapes, suitcases, baby seats, wine corks and more will be recycled or put to new use.
A swap table will also be set up, allowing you to bring in something that is working but unwanted and trade it in for something else.
“Someone just donated a giant kitchen sink,” said Dennis. “That’s not something we can put in the Tool Library, but someone might like to have it, so we are going to have a table and put all of our stuff on it and people can show up and if they see something they like they can take it home.”
“And if someone has something they want to get rid of, they can drop it off.”
Dennis said some of the items to be taken in during the event will go to like-minded organizations to be put to new uses.
Gently used sheets and towels will be collected on behalf of the Guelph Humane Society and misfit pieces from toys and board games will be collected to create educational experiences by a company in Toronto called Tiny Toy Co.
Crazy Crayons will be accepting unwanted and broken crayons, which will be recycled into new ones.
“It supports a lot of good projects that are going on and we are supporting them by supplying some stuff,” said Dennis.
Scrap metal will be collected and sold to offset the Guelph Tool Library’s costs for the event.
Also to be recycled are items like cell phones, children’s books and reading material, craft supplies and Tupperware and other reusable containers.
“Ultimately the goal is to collect stuff, but the real intent and purpose behind it is to make people think about their purchases,” said Dennis. “We have a lot of power as consumers and we can force really positive changes, but there has to be a demand for those changes.”
Recycling a child car seat usually costs $15, but David Bruce & Associates Insurance and Financial Services (The Co-operators) is sponsoring the recycling for this event so there is no cost to the public. The seats will be disassembled and almost all parts recycled at a facility in Oakville.
The Guelph Tool Library began as a project of Transition Guelph. Dennis said the Guelph Tool Library is also helping to organize a Zero Waste Festival planned for August 10 at Victoria Road Rec Centre.
