Community Forklift: From Trash to Treasure

All around DC you see dumpsters in front of houses being renovated. Many of the things being trashed can be reused, for example doors, windows, bath fixtures and more.  Besides giving away things on Freecycle, these items can also be donated to Community Forklift.  In fact, you can schedule a pick up, and they will come and take the items, and provide you a tax receipt. I interviewed Ruthie Mundell, Community Forklift’s Outreach and Education Director, to learn more about the organization and how you can get involved.

Getting to Know Community Forklift

Community Forklift is a nonprofit reuse center for building materials and architectural salvage. They collect donations of surplus, salvaged, and gently-used building materials from every era. They offer a free pickup service, so renovators can save on dumpster costs and receive a tax deduction. The unusual name refers to their mission:  to “lift up communities” in the DC area by turning the region’s construction waste stream into a resource stream.

Since 2005, they have created 40 local green jobs, kept almost $23 million dollars of building materials from going to waste, and provided materials for tens of thousands of homeowners, small businesses, non-profits, artisans, and historic restoration projects. They also offer public education about reuse, green living, and home repair, and distribute tens of thousands of dollars of free supplies to local nonprofits and neighbors in need each year.

How did Community Forklift get started?

Community Forklift started out with a volunteer board and an empty warehouse in 2005. Since reuse makes sense financially for both donors and customers, word of mouth spread quickly.  The organization grew and grew, and now supports 40 employees. Not only have green jobs been created within the company, but Community Forklift has had a positive ripple effect on local employment in the housing and building sectors.

Builders that donate materials have been able to avoid waste hauling and disposal fees, and have received tax deductions.  These savings have even made it possible to donate entire buildings.  Rather than hiring someone to demolish a house, a property owner can choose one of a growing number of salvage & deconstruction businesses. Deconstruction companies hire dozens more people per contract than traditional demolition firms.

Instead of paying to throw things out, the property owner can pay people to work. More work is been created after the donations arrive at the warehouse. About a third of Forklift customers are small contractors and tradespeople working in low and moderate income areas. When a contractor can find low-cost reclaimed materials, they can submit a lower bid for a potential project, making it more likely that a client can afford to hire them.

Entrepreneurs have also been able to lower their startup and operation costs with the low-cost supplies. Over the years, the Forklift’s reclaimed materials have been used in locally-owned restaurants, art galleries, farms, professional theatres, bed and breakfasts, offices, and retail shops.  Our employees like to joke that they can’t go out to a new restaurant without thinking, “Hey, that light fixture looks familiar!”

The reuse center has also drawn green economic activity to Prince George’s County. Not only does it serve as an informal networking spot and place to exchange information about reuse and green renovation, but it has begun to serve the role of an “anchor store,” attracting consignment partners and reuse businesses to the facility, including TreincarnationDecorative DeZign Interiors, Salvage Arts and Alco Appliance. One business, Tanglewood Works, grew so big that they recently moved over to a larger space in Hyattsville.

Community Forklift has won “Best of DC” awards in the Washington Post Express and City Paper for multiple years, including Best Hardware Store and Best Green Business.  The organization’s efforts have also been recognized by other leaders in sustainability.  The organization received the 2011 Image Award from the local chapter of the National Association of Remodeling Industries, and a Potomac Champion Award from the Alice Ferguson Foundation. They have successfully completed Green America’s screening process for socially and environmentally responsible businesses, and are listed in the National Green Pages.

What kinds of items can people donate?

Community Forklift accepts donations of surplus, salvaged, and gently-used building materials from every era, as well as appliances, tools, and antiques.  We also accept vintage furniture and commercial materials on a case-by-case basis. Property owners can even work with deconstruction companies to donate entire buildings.

What happens to the donated items?

They are offered to the public at Community Forklift’s huge warehouse, located just outside NE DC, near the Hyattsville Arts District and the Port Towns neighborhood. You’ll find 40,000 square feet of lumber, lighting, plumbing fixtures, hardware, tools, appliances, antiques, and more at 30% to 90% below retail prices.

As part of our mission to lift up communities, Community Forklift also partners with hundreds of nonprofits, community groups, schools, and social service agencies to offer public education, outreach activities, and community giving programs to area residents.

What is the process involved in having the items dropped off or picked up?

 
Dropping off your donation helps Community Forklift reduce our carbon footprint, and use our limited resources most efficiently. Review our Donation Guidelines before loading up your vehicle.  You may also send pictures to Donations(at)CommunityForklift(dot)org for review. (Note that we are unable to provide a dumpster for rejected items). Our warehouse is located just a few minutes outside NE DC, in the Hyattsville area (our address is 4671 Tanglewood Drive, Edmonston MD 20781).  If you are on the street facing our warehouse, our donations area is on your left. When dropping off a donation, please arrive at least 30 minutes before closing time.  You may drop off donations seven days a week from 9am – 5:30pmpm, and until 6:30pm on Wednesdays & Fridays. Please do not leave donations outside the building when Community Forklift is closed.

For larger donations, you can schedule a convenient and free pickup at your home, business, or work-site. Environmental stewardship is central to Community Forklift’s mission. Because our trucks are costly to operate and leave a large carbon footprint, we reserve them for large donations only. Pickups are generally scheduled two to three weeks from the time you contact the Donations Team, so please plan accordingly, especially if you are planning on a large-scale renovation or deconstruction project. To schedule a pickup appointment, fill out the request form on our website, and our Donations Coordinator will get back to you within 3 business days

How can people to get involved with your organization?

The easiest way for most people to get involved is to donate or shop with us! We want people to bring their surplus and gently-used building materials to us in the same way people have gotten used to the idea of bringing clothes to Goodwill.

Folks can also attend our workshops to learn more about DIY skills, or come to our special events to meet other salvage-minded people.

You can volunteer at the Forklift for a few hours, a full day, or on a regular basis. Help us organize and clean donations, design or rearrange sections of our warehouse, assist with community events and publicity, and more. We can even arrange special projects or more skilled tasks if you’re handy and have a good set of work boots!  (To learn more,  fill out our volunteer interest form. We can usually only work with folks over the age of 18, and with groups with 15 or fewer people).

We also offer tours of the warehouse to teach groups of all ages about topics such as social entrepreneurship, waste reduction, and the reuse movement. We have hosted everyone from preschoolers and scout groups to grad students and international guests! To schedule a tour,contact Events(at)CommunityForklift(dot)org.

What events do you having coming up?

Check out our calendar page to see our upcoming free workshops.
April 15: Painting Basics
April 30: Basic Milling
May 7: Introduction to Gluing
May 20: Basic Hand Tools
May 27: Introduction to Permaculture

What other articles and resources would you like to share?

Check out this article in a recent newsletter about our community giving programs.  Here are some examples of organizations we’ve helped:

Here are some fun articles from our past newsletters.

Questions about Community Forklift? 
Contact Outreach(at)CommunityForklift.org or 301-985-5180.