Waste Reduction Impact Index: Your ReStore Purchase Guide

When materials find new homes instead of going to landfills, everyone wins. Purchasing a dining set, paint, or even curtains from ReStore adds to the millions of pounds of materials we've already diverted from waste streams. 

Each purchase has a direct impact on waste prevention and helps shoppers understand how to shop sustainably for home décor. Buying second-hand also:

• Preserves raw materials and energy that would have gone into manufacturing new products
• Reduces transportation emissions from shipping new goods
• Eliminates the need for fresh packaging materials 

And while you're making these environmentally-friendly choices, you're helping fund affordable housing in our community. Let's look at the numbers behind every day ReStore purchases–you might be surprised by how much impact each item makes.

Item-by-Item Impact

Furniture

Even a typical dining set tells a sustainable story. A standard set weighs roughly 150 pounds, accounting for table and chairs. By purchasing this set from ReStore, you're:

• Preventing 150 pounds of material from entering landfills
• Saving about 750 pounds of manufacturing resources, like raw materials, energy, water, and transport
• Eliminating packaging waste, including foam, cardboard, and plastic wrapping
• Supporting sustainable consumption in our community

Building Materials

Paint is one of the most impactful products for sale at ReStore, with each gallon purchased preventing both paint and container from entering the waste stream. When you choose a five-gallon paint purchase from ReStore, you’re:

• Preventing water contamination–one gallon of paint can pollute up to 250,000 gallons of water
• Preventing improper disposal of chemicals
• Reducing demand for new paint production
• Saving approximately 100 pounds of manufacturing resources

Light Fixtures and Lamps

Don't underestimate the power of smaller purchases–they add up to create meaningful change. Take light fixtures and lamps, for example. This simple purchase has more impact than you might think:

• Prevents 5-10 pounds of textile and metal waste from going to landfills
• Saves 20-30 pounds of production resources
• Eliminates plastic packaging and hangers from the waste stream

Product Spotlight: Kitchen Cabinet Impact

Our featured kitchen cabinets showcase the extraordinary impact of these essential donations. Each cabinet set prevents an impressive 500-800 pounds of wood and hardware from entering landfills while saving thousands of pounds of manufacturing resources. 

Beyond these numbers, your purchase reduces deforestation impact, eliminates significant packaging waste, and provides affordable renovation options for our community.

Creating Change Together

The collective impact of our Twin Cities ReStore community in the past year tells an inspiring story of environmental stewardship. Together, we prevented 5.9 million pounds of materials from entering landfills. When you purchase gently used items, you help reduce packaging waste by over 500,000 pounds.

When shopping at ReStore, consider how each purchase's weight, durability, renovation potential, and replacement value contributes to these totals. Your individual choices, combined with those of other environmentally conscious community members, create significant, measurable impact. Together, we're building a more sustainable future, one purchase at a time.