Cabot Habitat for Humanity Opens ReStore in Newfoundland and Labrador

With assistance of $40,000 over the next two years from the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB), Cabot Habitat for Humanity has opened a new ReStore in Newfoundland and Labrador. Habitat for Humanity ReStores are building supply stores that accept and resell quality new and used building materials.

“The environmental opportunity represented by this initiative is significant,” said the Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Environment and Conservation. “Key components of the Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy include increasing waste reduction and diversion opportunities in the province, and the new Cabot Habitat for Humanity ReStore will bring us one step closer to achieving our 50 per cent waste reduction goal. This is a win-win for the environment and for deserving families in need.”

ReStores generate funds to support Habitat for Humanity’s building programs, while diverting used household materials, such as furniture, flooring, window treatments, doors, windows and other materials from landfills. Habitat for Humanity ReStores are well-established across North America, with 68 ReStores in Canada and 750 in the United States.

Since 1998, Canadian ReStores have diverted over 113,000 tonnes of waste from landfills, with approximately 21,000 tonnes being diverted in 2010. Additionally, in 2010, Canadian Restores recycled 2.1 million pounds of metal and more than 395,000 volunteer hours were logged.

“We are pleased to partner with Cabot Habitat for Humanity on the new ReStore,” said Leigh Puddester, Chair and CEO of MMSB. “The new Cabot Habitat for Humanity ReStore will assist in helping renovators and homebuilders to reuse and recycle some of their waste materials. Although construction and demolition waste account for only six per cent of Newfoundland and Labrador’s waste stream, it is often problematic in that it takes up valuable space in a landfill.”

Cabot Habitat for Humanity is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity Canada. Incorporated as a charitable non-profit organization in Newfoundland and Labrador in May of 1994, Cabot Habitat helps low-income working families achieve home ownership by mobilizing local communities, volunteers, materials and financial resources. “Cabot Habitat for Humanity appreciates this investment by the MMSB,” said John Scoville, Executive Director of Cabot Habitat for Humanity. “The money raised by the ReStore will help us give partner families a stable home environment by providing interest-free mortgages and a house that they can call home, all while helping keep waste from entering Robin Hood Bay. With 37 Habitat Homes already built in the St. John’s and Mount Pearl areas, we are excited by the opportunities that the new ReStore will provide our organization.”

The ReStore is located at 6 Robin Hood Bay Road and the hours of operation are Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information about the ReStore, materials that are accepted, or how to make a donation, please call 709-753-2721 or e-mail: restore@cabothabitat.ca

The MMSB is a provincial Crown agency that reports to the Minister of Environment and Conservation. The MMSB supports modern waste management practices in the province, with a particular focus on waste diversion, recycling and public education, in order to ensure a clean and healthy environment throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

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2011 07 08             11:55 a.m.