Petworth resident Roshani Kothari, who writes the DC Green Living blog, published a really good overview of the very cool Community Forklift organization. Check it out...

Community Forklift: From Trash to Treasure

All around DC you see dumpsters in front of houses being renovated. Many of the things being trashed can be reused, for example doors, windows, bath fixtures and more. Besides giving away things on Freecycle, these items can also be donated to Community Forklift. In fact, you can schedule a pick up, and they will come and take the items, and provide you a tax receipt. I interviewed Ruthie Mundell, Community Forklift’s Outreach and Education Director, to learn more about the organization and how you can get involved.

Getting to Know Community Forklift
Community Forklift is a nonprofit reuse center for building materials and architectural salvage. They collect donations of surplus, salvaged, and gently-used building materials from every era. They offer a free pickup service, so renovators can save on dumpster costs and receive a tax deduction. The unusual name refers to their mission: to “lift up communities” in the DC area by turning the region’s construction waste stream into a resource stream.

Since 2005, they have created 40 local green jobs, kept almost $23 million dollars of building materials from going to waste, and provided materials for tens of thousands of homeowners, small businesses, non-profits, artisans, and historic restoration projects. They also offer public education about reuse, green living, and home repair, and distribute tens of thousands of dollars of free supplies to local nonprofits and neighbors in need each year.

Read the full article, "Community Forklift: From Trash to Treasure" on DC Green Living.