Lean Green Habitat Machine: Sustainability for a greener future

We live in a day and age where everything is instantaneous, and you can buy almost anything off the internet. From prime two-day shipping to getting a couch to magically appear at your doorstep after clicking on an Instagram ad, it’s almost like magic! But what are the environmental effects?  

The trend of cheaply made shippable “fast furniture” has Americans throwing away 12 million metric tons of furniture each year – the equivalent of 1, 385 Space Needles! All this waste ends up in landfills and trash incineration plants, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and releasing harmful air pollutants.  

It does not have to be this way! Here at Habitat, we have a greener future in mind with every action we take, from our four local resale stores to the way we build and renovate our homes. In addition to ensuring access to affordable housing, we are committed to creating a sustainable future for our entire community.

We have four Habitat Store (in Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup and Spanaway); all of which sell gently used furniture, hardware, and appliances. The stores receive gently used and sometimes even new items donated by households, organizations, and retail spaces that no longer have use for them. 

“A lot of the furniture donated to us is gently used; sometimes brand new. That furniture would just go to the dump and end up in a landfill,” said Carly, Marketing and Retail Procurement.  

From gorgeous buttery soft leather couches to hand carved wooden dining room sets to affordable coffee tables that won’t break the bank, you can furnish your entire home with gently used or even brand-new pieces from any of our Habitat Stores. On Earth Day (April 22), make sure you take advantage of the stores’ biggest sale of the year with 50 percent off all donated items and 20 percent off yellow tag items. 

You can also get your fill of home improvement resources from any of our stores! Whether you are attempting a DIY bathroom renovation or just want to paint your bedroom walls a new color, our stores have many of the tools and materials you might need! The Habitat Stores have a partnership with Green Sheen Paint, allowing us to collect any old paint you wish to donate while also offering a stunning selection of fully recycled and eco-friendly paint for sale. 

The Habitat Stores also operate a few intentional recycling programs. Pat and Terri, two long-time volunteers, created a metal recycling program where they spend two afternoons a week sorting through damaged or unusable items in the Stores, meticulously taking things apart, sorting the metal pieces, and then taking the metal to recycling centers. The Habitat Stores have begun similar programs recycling wood, cardboard and polystyrene as well.  

“We are taking donated items that a lot of times don’t have a second life and diverting those items from the landfill,” according to Ed, Director of Operations and Retail. “We’re providing inexpensive building materials for our local residents in Pierce County, and we’re generating revenue for affordable housing in our neighborhood.” 

Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat is all about building hope for individuals, families and communities, and that means creating and investing in a sustainable future. That’s why we like to build and renovate all our homes to be energy efficient and fully electric, eliminating the need for any fossil fuels.  

Jonah, Director of Site Development & Construction, says, “It’s the way that everybody should be building houses, and we get to be an example of that to the public.” 

Every new construction home Habitat builds includes enhanced insulation, thorough air sealing, high-efficiency heat pump systems for heating and cooling, ENERGY STAR-rated appliances, and water-saving faucets and toilets. In our renovated homes, we often upgrade roofing, install mini-split heat pumps, incorporate energy-efficient appliances, and add low-water-use fixtures. These features not only help Habitat homeowners save on energy costs but also promote environmental sustainability. 

“The reason we do it is both for climate preservation, to not use fossil fuels wastefully, and also to keep the energy bills low for the homeowners over the lifetime of the house,” Jonah said.