After a kitchen remodel, Chris Adams loads his truck with salvaged lamps, cabinet hardware and leftover lumber. Instead of heading to the dump, he takes everything back to his shop and carefully sorts what can be reused, resold or recycled.
Typically, the building industry sends thousands of tons of large household items to landfills every day. But a growing number of business owners are challenging the status quo by prioritizing reusing and recycling over disposal.
Home improvement contractors like Adams are stepping up to help because hard-to-donate items, such as landscaping materials, outdated fixtures, old furniture and appliances, can be repurposed.
Reducing construction waste
Adams said his passion for sustainability began when he started working as a carpenter at age 17.
“I just thought that waste in construction was really unacceptable,” he said.
Adams owns two local construction companies with his son and Eden Prairie High School graduate, Gabriel. Chris Adams Construction and Lake Minnetonka Services are based in Eden Prairie.
When updating a home, father and son look to save light fixtures, faucets, lumber and other reusable materials. In fact, they try not to put a construction dumpster on a job site.
“We always save (light) bulbs,” said Adams, who looks for alternatives to throwing even the smallest items away.
Next to their office on Edenvale Boulevard in Eden Prairie is Adams Novelties, where the public can give new life to household items.
The store has grown to involve Adams’ extended family. Gabriel’s wife, Ally, runs the store during the week, and Chris’s parents and sister tend the shop on weekends. His 13-year-old daughter sells crafts at the store alongside items gathered from construction jobs.
“When I mentioned that I have a thrift store, and I’m already in (a client’s) house doing a job, we will often leave with a trunk full of donations,” said Adams.
But he isn’t the only one thinking about giving new life to unwanted items.
While his focus is on salvaging construction materials, another Eden Prairie business is tackling the same issue from a different angle – junk removal.
Donating items to local nonprofits
Most people think of hiring junk removers for large items destined for the landfill, but like Adams, local junk haulers also want to keep reusable items in circulation and out of the trash.
College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving, a franchise with a local office in Eden Prairie, aims to donate or recycle 70% of the items collected.
The crew brings a truck full of items back to the warehouse for sorting.
After collection, the College HUNKS crew separates and organizes items based on their condition and the needs of local community organizations.
College HUNKS donates to The PROP Shop, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Bridging, Salvation Army and local churches and shelters.
“We know that we’re able to get these items into a space where they’re going to be utilized. They’re not going to end up in a landfill,” said Kelli Bailey, business development manager for College HUNKS Eden Prairie.
Those items that can’t be donated are sorted again and sent to recycling facilities in the Twin Cities. The landfill is the last option.
When Bailey started working for College HUNKS, she toured The PROP Shop in Eden Prairie. There, she realized firsthand the impact the moving industry can make.
Local families selected dishes and kitchen items that her crew had recently collected. “It was a full-circle moment for me. ‘Wow! This is the impact that we’re helping to create.’ It’s a great feeling,” said Bailey.
Bailey said Eden Prairie residents are savvy, and many ask where their items go. Still, not everyone realizes that many remodeling and junk removal companies donate and recycle a large percentage of items.
Both Bailey and Adams are trying to change that perception, even though it may feel like an uphill battle.
“In our industry, it is super hard. We’re driving big trucks all the time. We do have to dispose of items,” said Bailey.
“We use a lot of plastic in the construction industry, and I wish there were some alternative for a lot of things,” said Adams.
Tips for residents: Sustainability starts with asking questions
For residents interested in junk removal or considering a home improvement project, ask about disposal practices. Ask where items are donated and if the charity provides a tax receipt.
Companies that value sustainable business practices will be willing to share their process and community partnerships.
Correction: This story has been updated to clarify that donations are to The PROP Shop resale shop, not PROP food shelf.
Editor’s note: This story is the ninth in an ongoing series called “Sustainability in Action.” The series spotlights sustainability efforts in Eden Prairie at various levels, from local government and businesses to community groups and residents. It includes a page dedicated to local, state, and national sustainability resources. This series has received support from a grant from the Eden Prairie Community Foundation.
If you have an idea for this series, contact the editors.
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