Stephen Vance, Staff
If you will be doing some Spring Cleaning in the coming weeks (see page 6 & 7 in this Thursday’s (March 31) print paper for some fantastic Spring Cleaning tips), consider doing something fun and practical with unwanted items by being a part of Meaford’s Earth Week RE-Use Fair.
The RE-Use Fair is a practical and fun way to support the goal of zero waste in our community. This year’s event is being held on Saturday, April 23 from 9 am until 3 pm at the Meaford & St. Vincent Community Centre.
The re-use portion of the Fair is an organized exchange of goods that keep ‘too good to be through’ items circulating in community. Local charities, non-profits, artisans, schools and faith-based groups request items via a Wish list. Citizens then bring the wished-for items to the MSV Community Centre on April 23, where they are packaged and picked up by the receiving groups.
Last year nearly 1,800 pounds of goods exchanged hands during the RE-Use Fair – that’s 1,800 pounds of items that could have ended up in a landfill, but instead have new life and new uses thanks to the RE-Use Fair.
Below is this year’s Wish List (the full list will also be included in our March 31 print paper). If you have any of these items collecting dust in a basement or attic, consider dropping them off at this year’s RE-Use Fair.
Wishlist of Items Requested for the RE-Use & ECO-Fair
On the day of the fair, call before hauling bigger items like desks, chairs, patio table sets, or bricks to the community centre to verify that the item is still needed. 519-477-4922
Make special delivery arrangements in advance for the fallen branches and mulch (6 cubic yards) for public gardens. 519-538-0167
25 and 50 foot extension cords
Antique-looking wooden window frames
Apple crates 24” x 18” x 17”
Armless stacking chairs (12)
Baby food jars with lids
Barn board – various lengths
Baseball gloves – kids preferred
Basic hand tools and case, screwdriver set, hammer, pliers
Basketballs
Batteries – for recycling
Battery-powered candles (the type in windows at Christmas)
Beads of natural material (wood, stone, seeds, shells)
Beads – any size or colour
Bean bags
Binoculars
Black or very dark suit jackets
Board games for kids
Bongos – old toys
Bricks for garden walls (4” x 8”)
Bristol board- any size or colour
Broken necklace chains
Broom handles
Brown paper bags – lunch size
Bubble wrap
Buttons – any size or colour
Card stock
Cardboard – for recycling
Cat litter
Cat scratching post
Cat toys
Cedar boards 2”x 6” – prefer 8 ft. long
Cedar split rail – prefer 8 ft. long
Children’s costumes
Clay for kids
Clothespins
Coat or dress with many colours
Coffee maker – 12 cup
Computer speakers
Computer tower (2)
Construction paper
Corkboard
Cotton balls
Counting objects – lots of the same item i.e. 100 checkers
Craft paint for kids – acrylic or watercolour
Crayons
Crochet supplies
Cymbals – metal or plastic
Dixie cups
Dog leashes
Dry erase markers
Electronics – for recycling
Envelopes – all sizes
Fabric scraps
Felt pieces – any size or colour
Flat screen TV (32”+) for foyer (1)
Folding tables – 6 ft.
Footballs
Fruit and vegetable seeds
Garbage pail lids – metal
Garden gloves for kids (12 pr.)
Garden tools for kids (12 items)
Garden trowels
Glue sticks – regular or glitter
Harmonicas – old toys
Hats – straw, fedoras, ball caps
Hawaiian shirts
Horns – old toys
House plants (5)
Ink Cartridges – used
Ink Pads-all colours
Knitting supplies
Lego or reg. toy building blocks
Liquor bottles – empty
Magnetic clips
Make believe clothes for kids
Markers – all colours
Mason/canning jars (any size)
Metal Sandwich board frames that hold 24” x 36” inserts
Microphones – plastic/toy
Mixing bowls – stainless steel
Natural fibre fabric or wool – earthy deep tones
Office chai r- good condition (1)
Office desk – good condition (1)
Old musical instruments – all kinds
Paint brushes for kids – all sizes
Paper clips – jumbo
Paper cutter
Paper doilies
Paper plates – all sizes
Paper shredder
Patio set, umbrella, table, chairs (1)
Pencil crayons
Pencils – all colours
Pens
Phonics games
Pinnies vests – all colours – for kids
Pipe cleaners – any colour
Plain cloth tablecloths (not plastic)
Plastic measuring cups
Plasticine for kids
Playing cards
Pool noodles
Popsicle sticks
Portable display signs
Pot lids – metal
Puppets
Puzzles for kids
Ribbon – any colour
Rubber boots women’s 7 ½ 2 pr.
Sandwich board signs – heavy
Saran Wrap
Scissors for small hands
Scissors-adults
Shovels – kid size
Small clay pots – not painted
Soccer balls
Spray bottles (6)
Stickers for kids – all kinds
Sticky notes
Styrofoam cups
Suitcases – old vintage looking
Sweaters – wool or natural fibre – some holes in sweater OK
Tall black boots – women’s
Tambourines – old toys
Tea cups & matching saucer (30)
Tennis balls
Tennis racquets
Tent/canopies for outdoor sellers
Thread spools – empty wood/plastic
Tinfoil
Tissue paper – all colours
Tow buggy for bike (1)
Tow wagon for bike (1)
Wash boards – metal (music)
Wash tubs – metal (music)
Washable markers
Water colour paper
Watering cans (2)
White boards & markers
White glue for kids
Wigs – all kinds
Wine bottles – empty
Wood boxes – old
Wooden bowls – all sizes
Wooden crates – all sizes
Wooden skewers
Wooden spoons – large
Yarn – any colour
Ziploc bags – all sizes
For detailed information on all of the Earth Week celebrations, visit www.meaford.ca/earthweek.
