Swapping is more than give and take

“I think swapping is invaluable to communities,” said Shay Mullins at the Spring Stuff Swap. “You are able to receive things you need and get rid of things that might otherwise be tossed out.”

Swap Positive has been hosting community swaps for 20 years in Portland. Swaps bring together volunteer coordinators, donated venues and swappers who bring clean items in good condition to share, at no cost. Items remaining at the end of a swap are donated.

Shay has lived in Portland for nearly 15 years. She grew up in Southwest Florida going to garage sales and “would dumpster dive after the Ringling School of Art and Design let out, and collect copious amounts of art supplies and other non-garbage items that were thrown away,” she said. “I used to use Freecycle, but here in Portland, the giving atmosphere is different and swaps abound, so I ended up moving into those circles rather than staying with what worked elsewhere.”

Shay has participated in and volunteered for dozens of clothing and ‘stuff’ swaps. She loves the culture of giving at community swaps.

“I participate in clothing swaps a couple times a year and have been coming to each biannual stuff swap for four years now.”

One of her favorite parts about participating at a swap is the possibilities. “I love finding things that I need or that someone I know needs. I actually ask my friends for things that they may need so I can keep an eye out for them at the swap.”

“I also like witnessing someone receive an item that they've been wanting for a long time, or needed but couldn't justify purchasing for whatever reason – that ‘paired up’ moment when someone finds something that they need, want, or love. It's elating!”

Another worthwhile element for her is knowing the items she brings that aren’t taken won’t be sold. The remaining items go to organizations and individuals who give them away, in the spirit of sharing. No money ever changes hands. Everyone involved gets to be with other kind, generous, thrifty, sustainability-minded people. That is the mission of Swap Positive Free Swaps.

Other swap groups have popped up resulting from Swap Positive’s positive impact. Kenton Church’s Free Clothing Exchange is held monthly and is welcome to community members who would like to swap clothes and books.

Are you ready to swap? View our event calendar for upcoming events. Or visit Swap Positive's Facebook page for more information on swap events.

Vintage rental options for your special event

Lane’ Bigsby from Something Borrowed invited Alicia Polacok from Resourceful PDX partner, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, to visit her vintage-inspired rental shop.

Do-It-Yourself at heart of business

In 2011, Lane’ Bigsby planned her own vintage-style wedding, showcasing her and her husband’s Do-It-Yourself (DIY) vision and commitment to sustainability. This process inspired Lane’ to start Something Borrowed to help others have the unique events they envision while reducing waste, too.

DIY is at the heart of Lane’s rental business. In addition to her re-styling experience, she has taken up upholstery and her husband now does woodworking. Lane’ often repurposes objects many times and in many different ways, getting the most value out of each object, adding creativity to the event, and saving costs for her clients.

“Renting saves you time from having to hunt items down and it’s often far cheaper than buying. I hear ‘this has been sitting in my garage for years’ very regularly so it also allows you to have less stuff that creates clutter.”

— Lane' Bigsby

Fun and funky items to rent

The inventory at Something Borrowed includes a plethora of items to rent for any kind of event – from weddings, birthdays and baby showers, to corporate events, trade shows and production photo shoots. Clients have even rented items for family holidays and a funeral.

When considering new inventory, Lane’ carefully selects items that can be used many times, and have a big impact in saving waste. She shops from websites like Craigslist, Etsy and eBay, and from previous clients who offer Something Borrowed the chance to buy items from their one-time events.

Building a resourceful community

Lane’ says she enjoys helping clients learn new ways to be resourceful.

“My clients often ask about the other elements of planning events, besides the décor. I find myself steering the conversation to using durable items instead of disposable items, and educating clients about compostable plastics and alternative packaging options.”

Lane’ also incorporates what she calls a “hyper-local” attitude to her business.

“Establishing these relationships has helped create a network in the St Johns neighborhood. I can get a special item repaired instead of tossing it in the garbage, and can visit the local reclaimed wood shop for custom jobs, like benches I had made recently to add to the inventory.”

View vintage and modern finds on the Something Borrowed website and at the one-stop-shop warehouse and showroom by appointment in North Portland.

 

Oregon takes steps toward more reuse

Cindy Correll, Reuse Alliance Oregon chair and Resourceful PDX partner, shares an update on reuse and repair in Oregon.

Reuse Alliance has a vision of making reuse a mainstream part of people’s lives and as common as recycling currently is in our culture.

The Oregon Legislature recently passed two new laws that involve reuse and repair. Senate Bill 245 and Senate Bill 263 set goals and make funding available to develop programs to increase the practice of reuse and repair.

This creates exciting opportunities to increase the public’s awareness of and participation in the practice of reuse and repair.

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The new laws support implementation of Materials Management in Oregon: 2050 Vision and Framework for Action. While earlier versions of this plan focused mostly on recycling efforts and managing waste, the 2050 plan addresses the full life cycle of materials (from raw materials, to manufacturing, purchasing and use, to disposal). It establishes a foundation for our state to use fewer raw materials and to get the most out of the resources we do consume. Reuse and repair play a big role in maximizing the useful life of the manufactured goods that are part of our daily lives.

Highlights from SB 263 addressing reuse and repair include:

• Waste prevention and reuse education programs in elementary and secondary schools.
• Funding or infrastructure support to promote and sustain reuse, repair, leasing or sharing efforts.
• Technical assistance to promote and sustain reuse, repair or leasing of materials or other sharing efforts to reduce waste.

SB 245 will make grants available to government agencies, nonprofits and businesses that want to implement programs in support of the reuse and repair goals outlined in Oregon’s 2050 plan.

With grant funds becoming available early next year, it will take some time before we begin to see results from this important new legislation. Over the next few years, expect to see new, innovative programs that give you more options for reusing and repairing your belongings.

Resourceful PDX gives Portland residents tools and ideas for reducing waste

Get involved with reuse and repair now by tapping into what exists in the community already. Explore Portland’s many second-hand stores to find new-to-you clothing, furniture, electronics, household or craft items and salvage building materials.

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, how-to classes and online tutorials can help you improve your sewing, bike or home repair skills quickly. There are also community resources, such as Repair PDX and local repair shops, that can fix anything from clothing and shoes, to furniture, tools, electronics, appliances and more.

As you’re repairing, reusing, borrowing and sharing, remember that you’re blazing the trail for others to follow. Keep up the good work!

Swap Positive offers free fashion and frugal fun

Swap Positive is your go-to resource for Portland area swaps. A swap involves getting a bunch of people together to exchange clothes and other items you no longer need, and offering them free of charge to others by swapping them instead. Swap Positive Free Swaps are unique because they bring together coordinators who volunteer their time, venues that donate their facility for free and swappers who bring clean items in good condition. In return, swappers find ‘new’ items for themselves or to give as gifts. The remaining items go to organizations and individuals who give them away, in the spirit of sharing. No money ever changes hands. Everyone involved gets to play with other kind, generous, thrifty, sustainability-minded people. That is the mission of Swap Positive Free Swaps.

Barb Hughes, who started Swap Positive, said, “I began free swapping in 2005, starting as a swapper, then a volunteer swap hostess, then founding the Swap Positive Network to help coordinate all the free swaps that were popping up all over town.  At each step I’ve enjoyed de-cluttering my home and hunting for treasure with like-minded thrifty kind people.”

She even has a swap philosophy that has evolved over the years and puts fun on the forefront. She now sees that free swaps are helpful to create community and make a positive difference in many ways. Barb’s swap philosophy includes these insights:

• Free Swaps keep usable items in use and allows all people to enter empowered and leave enriched. Most of us have something we aren’t using and with everyone invested in giving, we all participate in free frugal fun.
• Free Swaps allow people to play and friendships to spark. Women especially often spend their time and energy primarily on others. Barb wanted to provide a place where generous women could pamper themselves and play in a safe, fun, environment—while freeing their closets of clutter—meeting like-minded thrifty people and getting ‘new-to-you’ treats all at the same time! Of course, this concept has expanded to generous men, teens and children as well.
• Free Swaps offer businesses and organizations the opportunity to create mutual partnerships to improve the community in tangible ways. For example, People’s Food Co-op allows a free swap in their upstairs meeting room. After the swap, people can conveniently purchase a few needed items, additionally supporting the store. Since swap left overs go to organizations as donations to be given away, people in need receive items to better their lives through various social service agencies, food/clothing pantries and resource centers.
• Free Swaps provide hosts the chance to develop leadership skills in addition to creating connections and contributing to the community. The Swap Positive website has instructions on how to become a swap host, how to start a free swap in the size or category you want and ways to connect with other hosts willing to lend support and advice.

Swap Positive catalogs the swaps based on hosts’ interests—by sizes, locations and categories. 

Categories include

• Women’s clothing
• Shoes
• Accessories
• Children’s clothing
• Toys
• Gifts (or re-gifted ones!)
• Family clothing swaps for men, women and kids
• Maternity clothes
• Stuff

Are you ready to swap? Visit the About Swaps page to learn more and get your questions answers on the FAQ page.

Reduce clutter at home by participating at neighborhood cleanup events

Spring cleaning season is here and neighborhoods all across Portland are organizing cleanup events to give residents a chance to reduce waste and unwanted clutter from their homes, basements or garages.

There are over 40 neighborhood cleanup events scheduled throughout Portland during the spring months – with 30 offering onsite reuse options to allow neighbors to take, swap or buy items immediately. Volunteers from neighborhood associations coordinate these events and have been offering more options for reuse and swapping at the events every year.

Reuse your stuff

Often we have stuff that is still perfectly usable, but we don’t need the items anymore. Last year, many community reuse organizations took part in these events and many are returning again this year. Some organizations will accept household goods, furniture, appliances and building materials, both new and used, so residents can drop off all of this stuff in one place.

Below are just a few upcoming neighborhood cleanup events that are incorporating reuse.

A combined event on Saturday, May 2, 2015 between Foster-Powell and Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhoods includes a free area for reusable items, plus a partnership with a local bike shop for bikes and bike parts.

On Saturday, May 9, 2015 there is a combined cleanup in East Portland, led by Hazelwood Neighborhood Association, that also benefits the Centennial, Glenfair, Mill Park, Parkrose and Parkrose Heights communities. The event will have a free reuse area. Madison South Neighborhood Association will also host an event that day that includes a ‘you-price-it’ reusable area.

Local reuse organizations will be on hand at multiple cleanup events on Saturday, May 16, 2015 for clothing, shoes, household goods, outdoor items and building supplies.

North Portland neighborhoods St Johns and Cathedral Park are pairing up for a swap area for residents with remaining items going to The ReBuilding Center, Community Warehouse and Community Cycling Center.

Concordia Neighborhood Association will have a ‘you-price-it’ reusable area plus multiple organizations including: Trash for Peace to reuse plastics; Habitat Restore to reuse building materials; Community Warehouse to reuse household furnishings; Community Cycling Center to reuse bicycles; and Goodwill for clothes, shoes and books.

Find contact information for your neighborhood association

Contact the Office of Neighborhood Involvement or call 503-823-4519. Contact the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability at 503-823-7202 for possible cleanup dates, locations, costs and accepted materials.

The seven Neighborhood Coalitions are the best source of information about the scheduled cleanup events by neighborhood association.

• Central Northeast Neighbors (CNN)

• East Portland Neighborhood Office (EPNO)

• Neighbors West/Northwest (NW/NW)

• North Portland Neighborhood Services (NPNS)

• Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN)

• Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition (SEUL) 

• Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. (SWNI)

There’s a healthier way to clean this spring

With spring in the air it can only mean one thing – time to clean!

According to Metro, the average person in the U.S. uses 40.6 pounds of household cleaners each year.

Many of these products include ingredients that can be harmful to those we love and the environment around us. Choosing products that are less harmful are better for you and your family (and saves you money!).

Recipes for a greener clean

Metro has a wealth of information about reducing toxics, including simple cleaning tips and recipes for a safer home. There are many recipes available – and you may already have all of the ingredients you need at home – from window and wood cleaners to drain and oven cleaners.

Combinations of three key ingredients – baking soda, white vinegar and liquid soap – are the staples of natural, green cleaners. Reuse an existing container or spray bottle and label it so you know what type of homemade cleaner it contains.

Part of the cleaning ritual may be the smell of ‘clean’. Perhaps it reminds you of your family home or your grandma’s place. The smell is often the result of synthetic fragrances which can trigger asthma and may contain hormone-disrupting chemicals. By making your own cleaners, you can choose to add an essential oil to your mix for a customized and chemical-free clean smell. Metro’s recipes offer guidance for which oils and how much to use.

Take a look at the Washington Toxics Coalition Top 10 Tips for Safer Cleaning for more inspiration and tips. Get your house clean safely this spring by following these tips to make sure you use the best cleaning products for both you and the environment.

You can hire a green housekeeper, too

If you prefer someone else do the cleaning, check to see if these companies use safer, less toxic cleaners too. Resourceful PDX partner, Chinook Book, has many service-oriented businesses under Home and Garden. Coupons on your phone or in the book include offers for house cleaning services.

You can (still) be more organized this year

We are more than a month into the New Year! How are you doing on your resolutions? Did you make any commitments to organize, de-clutter or simplify? It’s never too late to rethink how to manage your stuff.

Live more simply this year

Resourceful PDX is about making small changes in your everyday choices to live more sustainably. Our stuff makes up a big part of this – how and where we buy stuff, how much of it we have in our homes, and even how we keep it all organized.

Have less stuff

One of the most sensible ways to achieve that elusive organization is simply to have less stuff.

Check out the stuff that you have around your home. Is it meaningful and durable? Does it add enhancement to your life? Are there things around you that just add clutter or distract from quality time with family and friends?

Get rid of a lot – a little at a time

Another favorite tip: whenever you’re cleaning a room, get rid of at least five items, whether it’s a piece of trash, an old magazine, or just something you haven’t used in ages.

Could it be that easy? Perhaps. Especially if we take some small steps to help us manage our stuff and include proper disposal of unwanted or unneeded items.

If you have the time and energy to do a bigger room or whole-home clean-out, planning ahead is the most resourceful option. Sorting and organizing your items before passing them along allows others to get the most benefit from your stuff.

5 steps to declutter

1. Schedule a block of time. Whether you have 10 minutes or more than an hour, knowing your time limit can help you to stay focused.
2. Choose a room and stick with it. Pace yourself but set goals for when you want to have each room finished.
3. Have the materials and resources you need on hand, like containers, boxes, sticky notes, scissors and tape.
4. Divide your excess possessions into: things to sell, things to donate (for reuse or future swap) and things to store and bring out later.
5. For some people, having a partner can help too. Choose someone who will help you stay focused and hopefully have buy-in for decision making.

Make Resourceful PDX a part of your year to get tips and resources for places and events that can help you live more resourcefully in Portland. Do you have resourceful ideas or resources to share for the New Year? Drop us a line.

ReClaim It! Make art, not waste at this new retail space offering reused materials saved from the landfill

Cindy Correll, Reuse Alliance Oregon Chapter chair and Be Resourceful partner, weighs in on a collaboration that is advancing the reuse conversation in Portland. 

“I remember being at a transfer station, looking closely at a massive pile of garbage, and noticing a surprising number of items that were obviously still usable. The amount of perfectly good stuff that ends up in our garbage is overwhelming. Wouldn’t it be ideal if we could rescue these materials before they are crushed, compacted and shipped off to a landfill? 

Enter ReClaim It! Reuse. Repair. Reimagine. 

ReClaim It! is a new venture born from the GLEAN project, a partnership between crackedpots, Recology and Metro. By collaborating with these other organizations, GLEAN artists create original works of art using materials salvaged from the garbage and now ReClaim It! makes these materials available to everyone in their new retail space. At ReClaim It!, you’ll not only find reused art, but also the materials and inspiration you need to make your own unique creations. And everything in the store was saved from the piles of discards at the Metro Central Transfer Station. 

ReClaim It! is located at 1 N Killingsworth St and open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Plan ahead before going so that you are prepared to transport your treasures home. Why? Because once you walk through the door, you’ll find all sorts of unique items for your art and DIY projects. 

At their recent grand opening event, I found doors, salvaged wood, unique pieces of trim, bicycle parts, metal, musical instruments, assorted furniture and furniture parts, garden tools, and a wide assortment of interesting doodads.  If you’re looking for artistic inspiration, visit the gallery space at the back of the store, currently showing art made by GLEAN artists. 

As I perused the shelves, I noticed people picking up and carrying off all sorts of things – and everyone had that look of excitement that comes from discovering something really cool that they can turn into something even cooler. I stopped in front of a shelf stacked with pieces of metal, and that’s when I saw it – a sheet of hardware cloth – all rusty and beautiful with an edge that looked like fringe. I had to have it. As a welder, I saw potential in the material. I picked it up, paid for it, and walked out of the store with that feeling of happiness that comes from knowing I am reusing something in a creative way. I’m hooked and can’t wait to go back!” 

Find the inspiration you need for creative reuse at ReClaim It! or any of these upcoming events sponsored by crackedpots: 

crackedpots art show at McMenamins Edgefield
Tuesday, July 22 and Wednesday, July 23, 2014

GLEAN art show at Disjecta
Opening reception on Friday, August 8, 2014, 6 – 9 p.m.
8371 N Interstate Ave. in Portland
Show runs through the month of August

Spring neighborhood cleanups inspire reuse

Cindy Correll, Reuse Alliance Oregon Chapter chair and Be Resourceful partner, encourages reuse at neighborhood cleanup events.

“Neighborhoods all across Portland hold cleanup events to give residents a chance to reduce waste and unwanted items from their home, basement or garage. If you’ve participated in a cleanup, you know how satisfying it feels to get rid of clutter.

Sometimes you have things that are still perfectly usable, but you don’t need them. Several nonprofit organizations around town welcome donations of household goods, furniture, appliances and building materials, both new and used. Learning about these organizations and what items they accept, and then driving to each location to make deliveries, takes time and effort. Wouldn’t it be convenient if you could just bring your reusable items to your neighborhood cleanup event and drop all of this stuff off in one place? Reuse Alliance thinks so.

Building reuse communities

Reuse Alliance is a national nonprofit organization working to increase awareness of the environmental, social and economic benefits of reuse. The Oregon Chapter, based in Portland, supports Reuse Alliance’s mission locally. Seeing an opportunity to educate the public about the benefits of reuse while also putting reuse into practice, the chapter developed a pilot program to collect reusable items at two neighborhood cleanup events. With many cleanups already collecting reusable items, it seemed the perfect time to expand reuse options.

To prepare for the pilot, Reuse Alliance learned about cleanups from the experts – the coordinators who organize these events – and enlisted the assistance of some nonprofit organizations that regularly accept reusable goods in donation.

Working in partnership with the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS), Reuse Alliance is conducting two pilot reuse events this spring. The pilot’s goal is to increase the number of cleanups that offer reuse options going forward and to inspire cleanups that already practice reuse to expand their collection of reusable items.

Pilot program events

North Tabor and Mt Tabor neighborhood associations are hosting their event on Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Mt Tabor Middle School at 5800 SE Ash St (parking lot, SE 57th Ave entrance).

Southwest Neighborhood Inc. is hosting their event for residents of all Southwest Portland neighborhood associations on Saturday, May 10, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Portland Christian Center, 5700 SW Dosch Rd.

At both events, participating nonprofit organizations Community Warehouse, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Community Cycling Center and others will collect reusable items in a centralized area, allowing residents to bring all their reusable items to one spot.

With the reuse area positioned near the event entrance, residents drop off their reusable items first. Putting reuse at the forefront of the cleanups also gives Reuse Alliance the opportunity to inform attendees about options for offloading reusable goods in the future."

Take action

If you live in one of the neighborhoods participating in the reuse pilots, bring reusable items to the events. Learn more about Neighborhood Cleanup events in our recent post and to verify what items are accepted. Find out about Reuse Alliance and news about Oregon Chapter meetings and community involvement.

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Get rid of clutter (and find stuff you need) at neighborhood cleanup events all over Portland

Spring is here, which means it’s time to clear out the clutter from your home, basement or garage!

There are nearly 50 neighborhood cleanup events scheduled throughout Portland during the spring months. Volunteers from neighborhood associations coordinate these events and have been offering more options for reuse and swapping at the events every year. Last year, 33 neighborhood cleanups incorporated onsite reuse options, allowing neighbors to take, swap or buy items immediately. 

Now in its sixth year, Trash to Treasure in North Portland is Portland’s largest swap event and is hosted as part of the St. Johns and Cathedral Park neighborhood cleanup. The daylong event includes over 5,000 items being exchanged between families at no cost.

This year’s Trash to Treasure is on Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Red Sea Church, 7535 N Chicago Ave. It is open to the public, free of charge and 100 percent volunteer run. Be Resourceful will have a booth at the event so residents can learn more about resourceful living and share community resources.

This video shows how Trash to Treasure comes together and builds community. 

The seven Neighborhood Coalitions have listings of the scheduled cleanup events by neighborhood association.

• Central Northeast Neighbors (CNN)
• East Portland Neighborhood Office (EPNO)
• Neighbors West/Northwest (NW/NW)
• North Portland Neighborhood Services (NPNS)
• Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN)
• Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition (SEUL) 
• Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. (SWNI)

Find contact information for your neighborhood association from the Office of Neighborhood Involvement or call 503-823-4519. Metro offers resources for planning a community cleanup event. Contact the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability at 503-823-7202 for possible cleanup dates, locations, costs and accepted materials.