Have you ever wondered what WabiSabi does with clothes that just won’t sell? Hint: They don’t go to the landfill.
Clothing items, also known as consumer textiles, which are donated to the thrift store instead go to manufacturers of insulation, flea markets and elsewhere, said General Manager Leah Bear.
Bear said a color coded dot is placed on clothing so staff can track how long garments have been available. Once they’re “on the floor” for a certain amount of time and haven’t sold, they go into one of four onsite shipping containers. On Friday, April 26, the driver of a tractor-trailer skillfully backed into the thrift store’s parking lot on 100 South, one of two such trucks that will pick up thousands of pounds worth of textiles this calendar year.
Bear said three pickups have been ordered in previous years, but WabiSabi has been able to repurpose much of their inventory, such as for events like the annual Trashion Show. A local resident collected over a dozen bags of clothing that went into the construction of a privacy wall and sound blocker in their front yard. “It was inspired by the OHV’s,” said Bear.
When the truck comes the real work begins.
“It was all hands on deck,” said Bear. “We had an assembly line. The company gives us four hours and we have to load a minimum of 32,000 pounds.” That wasn’t a problem as Bear estimates there was roughly 70,000 pounds on hand.
“We’re proud to keep approximately 120,000 pounds out of the landfill,” said Bear. “I love what the Trashion Show does.” The show is the Resiliency Hub’s primary fundraiser of the year and involves a party at Woody’s Tavern in which attendees wear outfits made from repurposed materials.
Other people’s trash
While WabiSabi does its best not to impact the landfill, illegal dumping of “donations” at the store during overnight hours has become an issue, said Bear. People drop off “old nasty mattresses” and other unsellable items — that do end up in the landfill, which is where they should have been taken in the first place, said Bear.
“It’s become a real problem,” said Bear. “We have to take that stuff to the transfer station. It costs us about $250 a month. That’s not a lot of money, but it’s stuff that got dumped illegally and it’s other people’s trash.”
Update on finding a new location
Bear and her staff have diligently searched for a new place to do business since March of 2023 when the WabiSabi property went on the market. The listing surprised Bear and she immediately began to fundraise and search for a new location.
There’s good news on both fronts. “The fundraising is going well,” said Bear. “We’ve raised $505,000.” The plan is to purchase a metal building and put it on land Bear has located for lease. She couldn’t disclose the location as the lease has not yet been signed. A memorandum of understanding will also be part of the agreement.
“It’s been one obstacle after another, but who doesn’t like a challenge,” said Bear.
This story was first published by The Times-Independent.