Curbside Giveaway Day on Saturday, Sept. 16

COURTNEY MCCLURE The Standard

NORTH DURHAM: Many municipalities across Durham Region are preparing for September 16th... so mark your calendars for Curbside Giveaway Day.

The Curbside Giveaway starts at 7 a.m. and runs until 7 p.m., with September 23rd set as a rain-day for the giveaway.

“[Curbside Giveaway Day] provides residents with the opportunity to declutter their homes and get rid of items they no longer want or need; while people who participate as recipients benefit by acquiring items they need or want without having to purchase them new,” explained Andrew Evans, director of waste management services for the Region of Durham. “In addition, there are the environmental benefits of waste reduction.”

The Curbside Giveaway Day encourages Durham Region residents to reuse and re-purpose their items. According to Mr. Evans, Curbside Giveaway Day also helps build sense of community among Durham Region residents.

“It’s a fun and [an] environmentally friendly way to get rid of unwanted (but usable) items and to find free stuff,” he added.

Items you can give away during this event include (but are not limited to) the following: bicycles, yard and gardening tools/equipment, musical instruments and more.

All acceptable items must be clearly marked “FREE” during the giveaway.

There are some items you should NOT include. Examples of these items are: opened or used personal protective equipment (PPE), mattresses and broken furniture. Other items such as baby cribs, carriages and playpens, should also not be left on the curbside.

To learn more about which items you should not put out for this event, Mr Evans recommends visiting the Facts of Garage Sale Vendors page on canada.ca.

At the end of the day, if any items are left unclaimed, please remove them from the curbside. Any items left outside after the Curbside Giveaway Day will be dealt with by the local by-law enforcement.

The Curbside Giveaway is a “pilot program” created by the Region of Durham in cooperation with a few municipalities across the region. Some municipalities that are involved include Scugog, Brock and Ajax.

Although the City of Oshawa will not be participating, they encourage the community to “explore” reuse opportunities when possible.

According to Mr. Evans, the updated Waste Management Plan includes the “5Rs” (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover). Following the 5Rs will help reduce the amount of waste people living within the Region of Durham create.

So, events like the upcoming Curbside Giveaway Day are meant to support Durham Region’s waste reduction goals, said Mr. Evans.

For more information please check out the Region of Durham website at durham.ca.