Ms. Cheap: ZeroLandfill offers free items for teachers, crafters and creatives

“The goal of ZeroLandfill is to help divert unwanted or unused materials from architecture and design firm product libraries away from landfills, and give them a second life within the community,” said Casey Wiegand with IIDA TN.

The items that the organizers take in from these firms include carpet, fabric, tile, wallpaper, laminate, paint chips, magazines and other samples or unused items that might otherwise be thrown away, in order to divert them from landfill and give them a second life.

Organizers say you can just show up and take whatever you want from the random inventory that has been accumulated from local design firms.

The public free-for-all giveaway will take place at the Bonitz warehouse at 1922 Old Murfreesboro Rd. (about 10 minutes from the Nashville airport) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13.

“Each year, we see more and more people returning and love hearing all the ways they used their recycled materials. Creatives and artists can source materials for their work or find inspiration for the next art piece they want to create,” Wiegand said.

Plus teachers tell them “what a positive impact the materials they find can have on connecting their students with their lessons,” Wiegand said, noting that it might be an art teacher “looking to provide a greater variety of mediums to their students, or science teachers looking to make the concept of landfills, and what ends up in a landfill, a hands on lesson they can gain the tools needed through this event.”

In previous years, this ZeroLandfill has attracted a hundred or more people, including a lot of teachers looking for classroom resources, as well as jewelry artists, quilters and other crafters in search of unique items to use in various projects.

The IIDA website says, “IDA TN is doing our part to save the planet by upcycling materials for the purpose of art and preservation.”

Zero Landfill projects nationally have diverted more than a million pounds from landfills since 2006.

“As an organization, we love hosting ZeroLandfill each year because we know what benefits it brings to the earth, the community, and even refocuses the creative lens with which we view our jobs and materials with,” said Wiegand, who said about 20 local firms donate items for this event.

She said people attending the event should bring their own bags or boxes to transport items they pick up. And she said any leftovers from the public giveaway will be donated to Turnip Green Creative ReUse Center.

Turnip Green takes donations of art and craft supplies from the community year-round and offers the items to the public on a pay what you can basis. The unique thrift store is open from noon–6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday at 407 Houston St. (near Dudley Park) for shopping or drop-offs of donations.

The center not only keeps tons of material out of the landfill but also provides environment education and creative programs onsite and at locations through the community. It has a gallery where reuse artists can display their creations. Details: www.turnipgreencreativereuse.org.

Details on the Nashville Zerolandfill can be found at https://www.iida-tn.org/events.

Stay cheap!

Mary Hance, who has four decades of journalism experience in the Nashville area, writes a weekly Ms. Cheap column. She also appears on Thursdays on “Talk of the Town” on NewsChannel 5. Reach her at mscheap@mainstreetmediatn.com and follow her on Facebook as Facebook.com/mscheap.