From humble beginnings more than 30 years ago, the Foothills Salvage and Recycling Society has grown into a place that’s doing much more than just keeping usable items out of the landfill.
The operation on Highway 783 south of Okotoks continues to divert tons of material annually from its next-door neighbour, Foothills Regional Landfill, and in doing so also provides thrift shoppers with unbeatable bargains and supports countless charities throughout the region.
“Some people don’t know we’re out here even though we’ve been here for 30 years,” said Gaby Zuniga, who co-manages the three-building set-up with Matt Smith.
Residents from throughout the Foothills donate all manner of goods, which are sorted and moved to the appropriate buildings for sale at a deep discount.
The main building houses everything from clothes, including shoes and purses, to housewares, furniture, toys, books, jewellery, art and collectibles. The other two buildings contain electronics, including computers and TVs, sporting goods, bicycles, small household appliances, patio furniture, building materials and more.
“The outer buildings, they’ve got electronics, tools, it’s mainly a guy’s paradise out there,” joked Smith.
The Foothills Salvage and Recycling Society was the vision of Cheryle Dobbyn, a councillor in Turner Valley three decades ago, who was adamant about changing a culture of waste in the Foothills. On her visits to the landfill, Dobbyn would often see a beautiful armchair or similarly reusable item and couldn’t believe people were throwing them away.
“Recycling was a new concept in the late ’80s/early ’90s and a group of five women in the community had formed the original Foothills Salvage and Recycling Society and were trying to initiate recycling centres in the Foothills municipalities,” she said.
Thanks to a partnership that has evolved with the landfill, the centre has steadily grown from one building to include a much larger and more prominent main building and an additional out-building.
“When I think of the thousands of people who have maintained households, clothed their kids, furnished a kitchen, built a doghouse, read a book… for a pittance, my heart fills,” said Dobbyn, who still shops at the thrift store on a regular basis.
Run by a board of directors, the non-profit now has a staff of 11 that is augmented by about 30 volunteers, although Zuniga said they can always use more volunteers.
The centre is into its busy season as donations always pick up in spring and summer.
“The amount we get in spring when everybody is doing their spring cleaning is just unreal, it’s a lot,” said Smith.
"We get U-Hauls coming in here that are full,” added Zuniga. “We get a lot of estates too.”
The centre also gets items that have been left at the ‘Throw & Go’ area at the landfill, which totaled more than 88 tons last year alone, a significant figure but one Zuniga said is just a tiny portion of what gets donated directly. Reusable items are also pulled out of bins at the landfill.
The centre is also planning to launch a weekly pickup service for those unable to bring items, particularly bulky ones, to the facility.
The volume is so great and is turned over with such regularity that items can’t, with the exception of furniture and collectibles, be individually priced so the store uses price lists to guide shoppers that come from all over the region, including some who visit daily.
“People come from Calgary, Airdrie because they know it’s worth the trip,” said Zuniga.
The centre has donated $1.7 million to a wide range of Foothills charities — from the hospice to animal shelters to the food bank — over the past 15 years. Charities can apply for funding which is allocated by the board on an annual basis.
As well, volunteers can choose a charity of their choice that receives a donation in their name.
The thrift store is open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
