Junk removal company helping Calgary Drop In Centre clients
What if someone could turn your junk into someone else's treasure, and help the environment a little along the way?
Just Junk Calgary picks up items people are getting rid of. Deb and Mike Darbyshire started the business 12 years ago. They have a goal of diverting as much as they can from landfills and the people who make use of the Calgary Drop In Centre's (DI) free goods program benefit as a result.
"We have a list of who will take what," said Deb Darbyshire. "So somewhere like the Calgary Drop In Centre, they will take pretty much all very good household items, housewares, cutlery, furniture - as long as it's in gently-used condition, they will take it."
Elise Short, the DI's community engagement manager, said Just Junk is great to work with.
"Anything that they bring from a mattress, a couch, even artificial plants, everything goes such a long way to help somebody set up their home," said Short. "We're talking about people that are either new to Calgary, new to Canada or starting over again."
Short said when clients receive the donation it helps turn their house into a home.
"They're starting with nothing," she said. "So even the littlest thing that somebody might not think would make an impact on somebody really does, it helps to set up their home."
In 2021 the company set a goal to donate 75 truck loads of items for the free goods program. They managed 100 loads and in 2022 hope to get 250 loads to clients.
"The Drop In Centre is one of our biggest (agencies) that take most of our stuff," said Mike Darbyshire. "Its going to get used and that's, that's a good thing about it."
Just Junk is a full service junk removal company. Deb Darbyshire says they make customer's lives easy by removing what they don't want. Mike sorts everything that comes into the warehouse. They get a lot of garbage, but even that's sorted and recycled. They receive old and even new items from clients.
"We actually don't sell anything at all," said Deb Darbyshire. "We make a point of putting it back into the community or going to different recycling centers."
MAKING ART OUT OF JUNK
It's Deb's job to find a new home for all the items that can be reused. She works with a number of local artisans who make art out of junk.
"People that do arts and crafts, they'll take the nuts, the bolts and the little beads and bangles and all these little things that you wouldn't even given a second look to and they'll they'll make these wonderful items out of them," she said.
Mike Darbyshire is passionate about making sure items get sorted so they can be recycled or repurposed. In 2021 he saw 101, 720 kg (224,256) lbs of metal, 26,020 kg (57,366 lbs) electronics, 33,009 kg (72,774 lbs) concrete, 867 car and truck tires and 774 bicycle tires diverted from the landfill. He enjoys finding antiques and hidden treasures the most.
"And the hard thing about this business is you see lots of things and you think it would be great to keep that that's good but you got to say no, you got to be strict and just give it to the people who need it, rather than stick it in my own home," he said.
Find out more about Just Junk here: www.justjunk.com
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.