The RE Store has announced the launch of the Manufacturing Waste Diversion program. The new program is aimed at assisting local manufacturers divert waste from the landfill.

A recent survey of local manufacturers identified multiple high-value products that are sent to the landfill each day. That includes products that can easily be reused, such as furniture parts, cabinet pieces, pre-cast stone and concrete products and lumber ends.

The Manufacturing Waste Diversion program will be managed by Program Development Manager Tim O’Donnell, who was previously general manager for the RE Store.

The program was piloted in 2014, with a partnership between between the RE Store and Itek Energy. At the time, Itek was forced to throw away hundreds of sheets of glass that didn’t match their quality control standards. Today, the RE Store sells that glass to the community. Since 2014, Itek has saved $35,000 in labor costs and disposal fees, and the RE Store has generated $98,000 in sales for its community jobs program.

The new program is supported in part through a $100,000 three-year grant awarded by the MJ Murdock Charitable Trust of Vancouver, Washington.

Darin McQuesten, previously the store manager, has been promoted to general manager of the RE Store.

For more information, visit re-store.org/manufacturing-waste-diversion.