Clean up, but don't throw out

FARGO - Before you kick your junk to the curb next week, make sure your trash isn't someone else's treasure.

That's the message some area nonprofits are pushing in an effort to get people to donate items rather than sending them to the landfill as the metro-wide Cleanup Week gets under way Monday.

Bikes, sinks, toilets, microwaves, working appliances, building materials and furniture are in high demand for organizations and sometimes found piled high along the gutter.

Sara Watson Curry, a self-proclaimed scavenger and collective member at the Fargo Moorhead Community Bike Workshop, said it's hard to see some of the still-usable goods people throw out.

"It frustrates me a lot because I'll see boxes of clothing outside, and that's not where they belong," she said. "That's really the owner's lazy way out, saying 'Well, I'll just throw this away.' "

Watson Curry said she is often tempted to pick up the box and bring it to a thrift store herself.

Other often-abandoned items are bicycles, she said.

The bike collective takes in vehicles that are functional or near-functional, rehabilitates them, and puts them back out on the streets, where they belong, Watson Curry said.

Bikes damaged beyond repair are stripped of usable parts and then recycled, she said.

"Rather than put 100 bikes in the landfill, the right thing to do is to repurpose them and reuse them; then recycle them," Watson Curry said.

Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Moorhead is also putting out a call for usable items.

The nonprofit provides previously owned construction materials at low costs. The proceeds go toward building homes as part of Habitat for Humanity.

"The more people that shop here, the more product that is donated, the more homes we can build," said Hailey Adkisson, public relations and marketing for Habitat.

On average, ReStore diverts about a million pounds of usable materials from landfills every year, Adkisson said.

Gene and Katie Birklid drove to Moorhead's Restore from Fort Ransom, N.D., to drop off a sink and medicine cabinet from a recent bathroom renovation.

"It was too good to throw away," Gene Birklid said.

"That stuff doesn't just disintegrate," he said. "You can't just throw it in the landfill and expect it to disappear."

Adkisson assures that ReStore's mission in not in competition with what the cities are trying to do.

Terry Ludlum, Fargo's solid waste utility manager, said it's always best if residents find a place to donate items before putting them out for Cleanup Week.

"That's the first part of recycling is to reuse," Ludlum said.

Fargo collects about 1,500 tons of residential trash during Cleanup Week. Compare that with the roughly 300 to 350 tons picked up on an average week, Ludlum said.

Moorhead brings in about 1,000 tons during Cleanup Week, compared to about 400 tons other weeks, said Chad Martin, operations director.

A message left for a West Fargo official was not returned by late Thursday afternoon.

Cleanup Week guide

Fargo, Moorhead, Dilworth, West Fargo and Clay County will hold their annual Cleanup Week Monday through Friday to collect residential trash.

Different rules apply in individual cities, so visit www.cleanupweek.com for more information. The following tips apply everywhere:

• Separate items of the same type in distinct piles - tires, appliances, furniture, brush and household garbage. Individual trucks will collect certain items on specific days.
• Place garbage in disposable containers, except for oversized items.
• Crews will not return to pick up garbage set out too late.
• Remove refrigerator and freezer doors. Do not place food or any other waste inside appliances.
• Items must be from residences, not commercial businesses.
• Keep household garbage at least 4 feet from other Cleanup Week items.

Donations accepted

Moorhead's Habitat for Humanity ReStore will accept the following items, as long as they are in working order and relatively undamaged:

• Appliances
• Windows
• Doors
• New carpet
• Sinks
• Toilets
• Cabinets
• Countertops
• Building materials such as bricks, lumber, nails and screws
• Bathroom and kitchen fixtures
• Paint

For more information on what is accepted, visit www.lakeagassizhabitat.org/restore .

Donations are tax deductable and can be dropped off at 210 11th St. N. in Moorhead. To set up a time for ReStore to pickup items free of charge during Cleanup Week, call (218) 284-5253, extension 1.

Fargo Moorhead Community Bike Workshop takes:

• Bikes and frames
• Damaged bikes that can be used for parts
• Tools

The collective also encourages volunteer hours to help restore vehicles and monetary donations to cover the related costs.
Donations are tax deductable and can be dropped off during open hours at 209 NP Ave. in Fargo.

The following area thrift stores also accept donations, according to the city of Fargo website:

• Arc Attic Treasures: 3201 43rd St. S., Fargo, (701) 364-9762; and 255 N. University Drive, Fargo, (701) 232-6641
• Dakota Boys Ranch: 1001 4th Ave. N., Fargo, (701) 280-2371; 1601 32nd Ave. S., Fargo, (701) 297-4166; 2525 Highway 10 E., Moorhead, (218) 233-1266.
• Family Life Thrift Store: 1000 45th St. S., Fargo, (701) 373-0052
• Heirlooms, 1617 32nd Ave. S., Fargo, (701) 356-2670
• Jazzy & Mumbo's, 817 Main Ave. W., West Fargo, (701) 282-3931
• Kinder Kloset Preowned Clothing: 745 A 45th St. SW, Fargo, (701) 277-1211
• Moorhead Thrift Shop: 501 Main Ave., Moorhead, (218) 233-2995
• New Life Center Thrift Store: 1902 3rd Ave. N., Fargo, (701) 235-4453
• REACH Reusables Thrift Store: 208 6th St., Hawley, Minn., (218) 483-4225
• Repeat Boutique: 2551 45th St. S., Fargo, (701) 364-3888
• Revolver: 627 1st Ave. N., Fargo, (701) 235-2883
• Salvation Army Thrift Store: 4575 23rd Ave. S., Fargo, (701) 356-7090
• Savers: 1623 38th St. S.W., Fargo, (701) 277-1447
• St. Vincent DePaul Society: 1425 1st Ave. S., Fargo, (701) 235-5944

Readers can reach Forum reporter Heidi Shaffer at (701) 241-5511