There are so many ways to save the planet and save money as well

From food that would be thrown out by local supermarkets, to furniture donated to charity, or even people sharing their trash online, hoping it will become someone else’s treasure, there are so many ways you can save money and save the environment at the same time.

Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore first opened its doors at the Riverside Centre in Lisburn a decade ago and since then it has seen a huge increase in the number of people both donating items to be sold on, as well as searching for furniture, furnishings, and even DIY equipment to buy.

As the cost of living crisis continues, many people are struggling to make ends meet and are turning to places like ReStore to furnish their homes, or help with DIY projects.

“Too many people can’t afford to improve their homes and that is only getting worse,” said Habitat for Humanity NI’s Chief Executive Jenny Williams, who is based at the charity’s local headquarters in Lisburn.

“ReStore didn’t begin as a way to raise money but as a way to serve local people. We believe everyone should have a decent and safe place to live.

“Habitat’s ethos all over the world is that we provide a hand up, not a hand out.

“Our three key aims are to help people improve their home at a low cost, to provide employment and training opportunities for people of all ages, and to divert tonnes of material from landfill.”

Approximately 700 tonnes of reusable materials are diverted from landfill annually by Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore and the Lisburn store alone has saved 120 kitchens from landfill over the past year.

“That is amazing,” continued Jenny. “There has definitely been an increase in donations as well as people buying items, now people take great pride in telling you they have upcycled something.

“We have also seen a growth in people shopping here because the cost of living crisis is impacting people.”

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore and they are justifiably proud of the impact the charity’s work is having on the environment, as well as on the local community.

Jenny Hickland, who has been a volunteer at the store for four years, said: “I began volunteering with Habitat because I love their ethos, of re-storing and re-using.

“All items are donated to the store, resulting in less waste going to landfill, as well as helping people to access good furniture and materials at an affordable, fair price.

“I am constantly amazed at the quality and volume of donations- where would all this excellent stock go if Habitat did not collect and sell the items?

“ReStore is becoming more busy every month, I love seeing how busy the store is, and my highlight is knowing I’m playing a part in that.”

Habitat for Humanity has also been working with schools in Lisburn to teach the next generation how to be more environmentally aware with their Our Waste, Our World project.

Last year, almost 3,000 students from 22 primary schools across Ireland took part in the programme, with Harmony Hill Primary School, Riverdale Primary School, Leadhill Primary School, St. Joseph’s Primary School Lisburn, Christ the Redeemer School, and Largymore Primary all taking part in the project locally over the last five years.

During the session, pupils learn about the impact of waste on the environment and how Habitat ReStore diverts tons of reusable material from landfill.

As well as saving bulky items such as furniture from landfill, there is greater awareness of the amount of food being wasted on a daily basis.

As more people become aware of the need to save waste from landfill, and the cost of living crisis bites, the Healthy Living Centre in Old Warren has set up a Community Fridge which not only saves food from being thrown away, it also provides vital supplies for anyone struggling to make ends meet.

Keith Campbell-Kennedy, the Volunteer Community Fridge Co-Ordinator revealed that the local scheme has distributed, and therefore prevented going to landfill, three quarters of a ton of food in the last four weeks.

“A community fridge is a space where anyone can exchange food that would otherwise go to waste,” explained Keith. “Run by local volunteers, many fridges also provide a positive social space for local visitors to learn more about food, sustainable eating, growing your own and eating on a budget.

“The UK’s first community fridge was trialled in 2016. Since then, hundreds of community fridges have taken root across the UK helping thousands connect to their neighbours, access nutritious food, save money and reduce waste.”

Emphasising that the community fridge is not a foodbank, Keith continued: “The main focus for the fridge is to reduce the amount of good quality food that ends up in landfill. We know at this time with costs rising and even more pressure on household budgets reducing waste and making food accessible is even more important. We aren’t a foodbank but we can link to the foodbank, offer support for welfare benefits, debt management, well-being support, hygiene bank or anything else by linking across Resurgam Trust and the range of fantastic community support in Lisburn.”

The community fridge receives donations from local supermarkets and Keith hopes this will expand over the coming months. “We have partnerships with Sainsburys, Marks and Spencers, Co-op and local community gardens,” he explained. “We will open partnerships with more supermarkets, including local shops as we develop.

“We receive all kinds of food which includes breads, bakery items, tins, fruit, vegetables, drinks, confectionery and even bunches of flowers.”

The community fridge will officially launch on September 14 but it has been open to the local community since July. ”We open when we get collections from the supermarkets,” explained Keith. “At the minute we are open Wednesday 12-4pm and Saturday 10:30am -4pm. With more collections and more volunteers, we can open more days.

“At the community fridge, we are much more than a waste management community, it’s also a place to meet other like-minded people. Because we are part of the Healthy Living Centre we can offer so much more to people who need help with information and support.

“By having the fridge we are able to provide access to hygiene products also, we have a community book shelf where people can take or leave books to be read by others.

“We also have a social cafe in the fridge where those attending can chat over a hot or cold drink with our volunteers.”

People have also been going online to share their unwanted items in the belief that ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’. Facebook groups like Zero Waste Freecycle NI have proven to be hugely popular with over 20,000 members in just that one group.

Helen McGurk from Castlereagh is one of the group members and has found great benefit from both donating and receiving items online.

“I joined Zero Waste Freecycle NI last year following a friend’s recommendation and I love the site for so many reasons,” said Helen.

“Firstly, I hate the thought of stuff I no longer use or need going to landfill, so this site is a great way to give away items you no longer need. As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

“I have given away children’s clothes, apples, a juicer I used only once, paving slabs, sprigs of rosemary, pictures, and other odds and sods.

“Likewise, it is also a great way to get something you may need and don’t want to fork out for.

“During the summer I had a garden party at my home and wanted to decorate the space with lanterns.

“I posted asking if anyone had any they didn’t need anymore and lo and behold within the hour a lovely lady contacted me to say she had three.

“They were beautiful and just what I needed. At the party loads of my guests commented on them.

“The site makes for addictive reading, as goods are offered and taken at breakneck speed. I am always amazed at the calibre of items which appear - pianos, sofas, lawnmovers, dressers, beautiful wedding dresses, you name it.

“It gives you a nice feeling to know that your unloved item, which is gathering dust in the garage or under the stairs, will be used by someone else rather than ending up in the council skip: essentially, it’s about swapping conspicuous consumerism for the joys of giving and receiving.

“Indeed, freecycling seems to bring out the humanity in everyone: the declutterer is filled with a warm fuzzy feeling that they are helping someone and the collector is grateful at not having to pay for something.

“It has captured the global zeitgeist of eco concern and recycling, but it also creates a local community feeling - and that’s something you definitely can’t buy.”

Find out more about Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore in Lisburn at https://www.habitatni.co.uk/join-us/habitat-restore.

You can join the Healthy Living Community Fridge group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/809536073790138/ and Zero Waste Freecycle NI at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1349838005169428/