At the Ottawa Food Bank, these containers are constantly used and required on an ongoing basis!

 

Now we’ve had positive confirmation from the Ottawa Food Bank that they can always use these items.  

 

           Ottawa Food Bank Red Bin

And the really good news is that you can donate them at Ottawa Food Bank Red Bin Locations at the front of most supermarkets in Ottawa although they would prefer, if it is convenient, that you bring your donations to the main warehouse - 1317B Michael St., Ottawa, ON K1B 3M9

 

Of course, since the containers will be used to repackage bulk foods, be sure they are nice and clean!  And please leave a little note inside telling them you were referred by FullCircles Ottawa.  We’d love the good will!  You might even want to throw in a food item or two while you’re at it.

 

Here’s my March 2012 conversation with the Ottawa Food Bank on their Facebook Page:

Eric Snyder - March 12, 2012
In the past, I’ve dropped off clean white 1 kg yogurt containers with lids at the Food Bank Centre on Bronson. Is this type of donation still of interest to the Ottawa Food Bank?
If so, could they be bagged and dropped off at a supermarket food bank bin?

Yesterday at 9:23am · Like

• Ottawa Food Bank Hello Eric! Thank you for thinking of us. Yes we do accept these types of containers! You can either bring them right to our warehouse (1317B Michael St) or you can drop them off in the red bin at your local grocery store.
  Thank you!

  Yesterday at 10:17am · Like

• Eric Snyder Thanks for your note! This is good news for me. I haven’t had to recycle any of these containers for the past 8+ years, since we started Ottawa Freecycle. Now… how about red Folgers plastic coffee canisters? Are these something the Food Bank can use too?

  Yesterday at 11:40am · Like

• Ottawa Food Bank I would imagine so! Feel free to donate them the same way you do the yogurt tubs. If we receive them and I hear that they don’t want them, I’ll let you know.

 

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This guide was written in the U.K. for Freegle and Freecycle sites.  But (if you can understand the British English) the ideas are all applicable to FullCircles, ReUseIt and Freecycle sites in Canada and North America!

Freecycle & Freegle: Bag freebies on giveaway sites….

In the guide:

• How giveaway sites work
• Isn’t it all junk?
• You must give to receive 
• How to bag the best freebies

Check here for 30+ giveaway website tricks!  And, wherever you see “Freegle”, just substitute “FullCircles”.

The Town without Trash: Kamikatsu, Japan | Gimundo | Good News… Served Daily.

In this green Japanese town, all household waste is recycled into 34 separate categories.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on March 30 2012

Cities like San Francisco may have placed a ban on plastic bags in grocery stores and boast of bike-friendly roads, but if you really want to discover the world’s greenest spot, you’ll have to head overseas, to the small town of Kamikatsu, Japan.

In Kamikatsu, there’s no such thing as trash. You won’t find a single garbage bin in any of the town’s homes, and there’s not a dump anywhere within driving distance. Instead, the resourceful residents must compost all waste from their food, and sort other trash into 34 separate categories, with sections for plastic bottles, razor blades, Styrofoam, and various other paraphernalia.

Offer: Household Donations – Please See List.

Here’s an unusual offer from Sandy on FullCircles Ottawa.  She, her friends and neighbours have banded together to collect an assortment of “stuff” that someone just setting up a household would find very useful – a big time and money saver!

Here are a few thoughts of prospects for this collection:

1. Student setting up household for a term
2. There are two or three different organizations I”m aware of that help recent refugee families get set up.
3. Red Cross team providing assistance to fire victims
4. A newly wed couple

Can you think of other prospects for a collection of “stuff” like this?  Why not make a suggestion in the comments field below.

Thanks, Sandy for the great idea!

Eric Snyder
Team FullCircles Ottawa
==========================================

Image via Wikipedia

Team FCO member, Winn Lambert-Meek, has been touring around Europe for the past few weeks.  Look what we received from her today

ITALY: A COUNTRY WIDE BAN OF PLASTIC BAGS

“I’m still in Rome however will be home later this week.  Imagine my surprise to find out that plastic bags as we know them are banned in Italy … 

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/01/05/italy-dumps-plastic-bags-world-first-nationwide-ban

If you need a bag at the grocery store they’ll charge you a dime or therabouts and the bag is biodegradable … I have one that I’ll give to Diane Holmes [City of Ottawa Councillor] when I return.

Hope all of you are well … I’ve been internet deprived for most of my travels but for now I have it this little apartment.

I look forward to catching up with everything!

Winn”

RRFM participants meet at a single location, “Ottawa’s Really Really Free Market,” to learn about freecycling, to give and get free items, to meet new people in the community, and to participate in free activities.

FullCircles Ottawa, Eric Snyder, egs@FullCircles.org; (613) 688-1570