U-Haul debuts a reuse center in Somerville

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

From the Boston Globe (original article here).  Disclaimer - I have not visited this place, just thought it might interest the vehicularly enabled among us.

U-Haul debuts a reuse center in Somerville

July 16, 2009 06:51 AM 

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

U-Haul, a company whose specialties include moving and self-storage, said that one of its new U-Haul Reuse Centers is at a U-Haul facility located at 600 Mystic Valley Parkway in Somerville.

"The Reuse Program was developed to provide a redistribution network for unwanted, gently used household goods, furniture, sporting equipment, bikes, and clothing that were formerly destined for landfills," the company said in a press release.

"Reusing gives a second life to tons of household items, reduces carbon emission by reducing trips to landfills and eliminates tons of solid waste deposited in landfills, while providing customers eco-friendly alternatives to purchasing these as new products," Levi Parmerter, U-Haul Company of Boston president, said in a statement. "This program provides U-Haul another opportunity to pioneer a system that will advance the self-storage industry as holding itself responsible for bettering the environment for generations to come."

Comments

[ron_newman]

Thanks, this sounds cool. By the way, buses 80 and 94 go by this location (though that won't help much for furniture)

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

Does sound cool.

And of course, get there by 80 or 94, drive your stuff away in a U-Haul. It's not necessarily untrue that U-Haul people care about recycling, but I'm sure they benefit some from at least some folks renting vans and trucks to move free re-use goodies.

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I'm a cynic, but U-Haul has such notoriously bad customer service that I find it hard to believe they'd do something completely altruistic. If you want to do that, fix your current service, you know? (ha)

But I do like the idea. I'm always pleased to see things avoid a landfill.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

this... on both counts

[sunshineyellow.livejournal.com]

it's also possible that they care more about recycling than they do about their customers. people who do good things aren't necessarily good people.

clothing donations

[2ndchancesinc.livejournal.com]

I hope that people will still consider donating locally, especially clothing. Second Chances is a local clothing donation program that provides free clothing to people receiving shelter and services in Somerville and Cambridge. For more information about our work, including donation locations and events, please visit www.secondchances.org.

Re: clothing donations

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

I don't know if UHaul *takes* clothing donations - I suspect (but don't know) that the stuff they're selling is from storage spaces where people stopped paying.

A place to donate clothing locally is a true treasure, as many charities that accept clothing actually just sell it for cents per bale in Third World countries, displacing local weavers and tailors.

Re: clothing donations

[ron_newman]

I assume that if you give to Goodwill, they just sell it right in the store.

Re: clothing donations

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

Only the cream of the crop:
http://ethicalstyle.com/issue-5/goodwill-hunting/

From most of what I've read, it creates nearly as much work as it destroys, and is mostly detrimental culturally (by making it more affordable to dress in Western castoffs than locally designed and produced clothes).

It's one of those itchy subjects that's really hard to get a handle on, because Goodwill creates jobs here too, and we all like to shop there; but it's relegating authentic African clothing to the luxury market, and possibly eventually to history.

Re: clothing donations

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

Goodwill doesn't sell children's clothing anymore, so giving to Second Chances is a good option, as actual kids will get to wear the clothes.

UHaul donations

[2ndchancesinc.livejournal.com]

The article and UHaul's website seem to indicate that people can donate clothing and other items in drop boxes at truck pick up sites. Sounds like collected goods are then transferred to large, national organizations for distribution or sale. It doesn't say anything about unclaimed storage space contents.

[antimony.livejournal.com]

I've seen it -- when we were there last (we have a storage unit in that building while doing construction) there was a bunch of junk and an antique cannonball bed that needed some serious TLC (refinishing) but would eventually be really nice. (This was over a month ago, so don't rush out looking for it.)