In an era of ease, the network HGTV is reminding generations of homeowners that housework is possible. Renovation shows are inspiring countless trends and reminding us that, “the first step in bringing an idea to life is putting pen to paper.”
We love these messages! But as much as we love HGTV… we also sort of hate it. Hear us out: What is their problem with ignoring the idea of recycling or reuse?
We’ve all seen the image of a gleeful homeowner with dreams of an open-concept living space taking a sledgehammer to the wall separating a cramped kitchen and dining room. In fact, almost all HGTV renovations begin this way. Demo day: When homeowners are invited to get down and dirty, put on their protec, and take a sledgehammer to smash their way to a beautiful new space.
Don’t get us wrong — smashing things with sledgehammers is fun. The sad reality of demo day, though, is what ends up in the landfill: Thousands of tons of reusable, often high quality building materials, all destroyed for a few minutes of TV. Nearly 60% of America’s landfills are made up of unwanted materials from construction and renovations. That’s totally unnecessary!
Here at the RE Store we believe that unwanted, perfectly reusable items deserve better. When you look at building materials from our perspective, an old 2×4 can be a birdhouse or a raised garden bed. When we begin to think of materials as having long lifespans, reuse just makes sense.
So, as much as we love HGTV for making home ownership and design accessible, we’re disappointed in their celebration of wastefulness. Here’s what we propose: Next time you’re planning a renovation, consider if the materials can be used again. Even dated materials can have years left in their lifespans.
You might want to start by giving us a call –- we are committed to helping you figure out if and how unwanted materials might be reused or recycled. In fact, our salvage crew can remove things such as kitchen cabinets and flooring – or even your whole home – saving up to 90 percent of a structure’s materials, and our estimates are always free. When we reuse instead of throwing away, we are acting as responsible citizens and actively making our community a better place.
For more like this, check out our Home section here.
