Don't Throw It Out, Bring It To Zero Waste Day!

It's not exactly Christmas but for Loretta Ryan and Beth McFayden, it's pretty close.

On Saturday, Sept. 22, Ryan and McFayden, along with a team of volunteers and representatives from more than a dozen non-profit organizations will be at the Wynn Middle School, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Tewksbury's 4th Annual Zero Waste Day.

On the Zero Waste Day web site, the event is described as a "drive thru donating and recycling event held annually to provide residents with a quick and easy way to pass along items that they no longer need."

But there is an added bonus. When they bring items to Zero Waste Day, people are donating them to a variety of non-profit agencies, helping thousands of families throughout the Merrimack Valley and Eastern Mass.

"We've got two new agencies participating that we're very excited about -- the Green Network Exchange and Neighbors in Need," said McFayden.

The Green Network Exchange will be accepting electronic items on Saturday. Depending on the item, the firm may refurbish the item for resale or it may break down the item and re-purpose usable parts.

Neighbors in Need will be collecting adult and children's clothes for redistribution to families in the Greater Lawrence area.

"What we really like about Neighbors in Need is that they distribute the clothing totally free of charge," said McFayden.

Other agencies participating include the following:

• BB/BS Foundation
  
• Bikes Not Bombs
  
• Boston Building Resources
• Central MA Mosquito Control
• Community Giving Tree
  
• Lowell Humane Society
  
• Mission of Deeds
• More Than Words
• MSPCA/Nevins Farm
  
• Paper Retriever
  
• Project Home Again
• The Wish Project

Bikes Not Bombs always does great business at Zero Waste Day. The organization accepts donated bikes, refurbishes them and distributes them to children in war-torn countries.

The Central Ma. Mosquito Control Project joined the Zero Waste Day effort last year. They collect tires, both usable and unusable.

Zero Waste Day began in 2009 and has grown steadily. Last year, more than 500 cars showed up and dropped off thousands of pounds of recyclable items at the Wynn School. Volunteers from the Tewksbury Recycling Committee and Tewksbury Congregational Church make life easy for donators by assisting with car unloading and distribution.

Here is a list of acceptable donation items for Zero Waste Day:

• Clothing
• Shoes
• Household Goods
• Furniture
• Decorative Items
• Bikes (without rust)
• Building Supplies
• Books, CDs, Videotapes, DVDs
• Baby Gear
• Linens
• Pet Supplies
• Appliances
• Tires (off rim)

Here are some items that will NOT be accepted:

• Anything you wouldn't share with a friend
• Anything that's broken
• Anything with missing pieces
• Anything with stains or rips
• Toys
• Bikes with rust
• Hollow core doors
• Anything with mold or a musty smell
• Anything covered in pet hair
• Exercise equipment (treadmills, etc…)
• Sports equipment (skis, skates, etc…)
• Recreational equipment (pool tables, basketball hoops, etc..)
• Little Tykes outdoor/indoor play pieces
• Hazardous Waste

For more information on Zero Waste Day, check out the new Web site at www.zwdtewksbury.org.