Waste and composting

Every week, households across the GTA sort tons of waste into recycling, compost, and garbage. Local municipalities are responsible for collecting and processing this waste. While many garbage items can be converted to energy at an energy-from-waste-facility, there are still some items that must be diverted to landfills, like broken exercise equipment, or large pieces of furniture.

This is where charities like the JRCC Furniture Depot come in, helping find second homes for used furniture items with vulnerable populations across the GTA. The JRCC Furniture Depot collects used furniture items like tables, chairs, desks, and more and distributes them free of charge to marginalized populations such as new immigrants, women and children leaving women’s shelters, and people with chronic illness or disabilities.

Donating your used furniture to the JRCC Furniture Depot is a great way to make sure it has a second life and can be part of a new home. It also ensures that these items will not end up in landfills. However, furniture donations aren’t an everyday occurrence, so it’s also important to know how you can reduce the amount of waste your household produces on a regular basis!

The number one tip from Waste Reduction Week in Canada on reducing household waste is ‘buy what you need, eat what you buy, compost the rest.’ This is because food waste is a major problem across Canada. Studies show that the average amount of food wasted each year for every Canadian is 183 kilograms of food, or 404 pounds! This is approximately $1,100 worth of food beyond thrown out.

A great way to start a habit of reducing food waste is by placing a small compost container in your kitchen. This makes it easy to remember to redirect food waste into the compost, rather than straight to the garbage. Products that can be put into the compost include:

  • Coffee grounds (and filters)
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Nut shells
  • Tea and tea bags
  • Paper towels and cardboard rolls

Composting is a great way to ensure that even our regular scraps don’t go to waste. They can be used for a second purpose. So many things we own and use can be given a second life, like our used furniture! The JRCC Furniture Depot is committed to environmentally friendly solutions to used furniture through collecting donations of used furniture items. If you have unwanted furniture items in good condition, contact the Furniture Depot today to arrange a donation. (Please note that we do not accept appliances or electronics.)