We all know what it means to recycle, repurpose, reuse. But have you heard about upcycling? Creative reuse? Waste diversion?
Does this list make you feel overwhelmed? Inadequate? Exhausted?
FSPA Director of Integral Ecology Beth Piggush describes upcycling as “the process of turning something that’s no longer in use into a new, functional item that’s often more valuable than the original; also known as creative reuse.” Waste diversion, she says, “is the practice of redirecting waste away from landfills towards more sustainable options such as recycling, composting or reducing consumption. Diverting waste has significant environmental benefits and helps to save landfill space.”
As Director of Housekeeping for the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Dan Gabel is taking up these tasks at St. Rose Convent, helping to uphold our commitment to care for creation and Laudato Si’ Action Platform responsibilities that include the adoption of sustainable lifestyles.Dan is sharing with us how to employ these practices of preservation for Mother Earth, proclaiming new purpose with FSPA.
How did the idea of upcycling items that FSPA has on hand/in storage come to you?
For years we have been collecting items, and those items have not been touched. FSPA Purchasing and Hospitality Supervisor Shannon Wurtzel and I share a running memory of what items stored in the St. Rose basement and attic are requested from time to time, like used fans, particular books, CDs, cleaning supplies, etc. Many of the items we passed by often were just collecting dust, not asked for by anyone for years. I knew that, like the toys in the Christmas movie, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & the Island of Misfit Toys,” someone was out there, someone who would love to have these items. So, by working with a team of leaders, as well as sisters and staff, we came together to find these items a home.
What would you say is the magnitude of the sorting/donating process?
Although this is still in progress, starting in the basement, then to the attic, we are creating valuable space. This space will now be used to order and keep the day-to-day inventory of items we use all the time. These open spaces now offer room for us to order many more items at their best price, saving us money and helping the environment by not having multiple trucks making multiple deliveries each month.
How successful has the upcycling at FSPA been?
If I had to put a number on it, I would say 99%. After bringing up over 1,000 items from the basement, only two small boxes of items were tossed in the garbage. Like they say, one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. These items found a good home, just like the misfit toys.
Has the task of managing items become easier?
Yes. We are now in the process of storing items that we know we will use again in a designated location ... and only in that location. In the past, items could be stored anywhere in the building, most of the time in multiple locations, making it much harder to find and keep track of. The last thing Shannon or I want is to have a staff member order an item that we already have.
I would like to thank everyone who has helped and continues to help. The names are too numerous to list, and that list keeps growing.
Dan shares his best practices for upcycling at St. Rose Convent:
The housekeeping and laundry departments use as many eco-friendly cleaners as possible. The laundry department helps to train the sisters who do their own laundry in a small washer on how much soap to use and marks the caps so we save money and help the environment.
The housekeeping and laundry departments also use as many refill jugs as possible. Refilling smaller squirt bottles, rather than always buying new, reduces the amount of plastic that we use.
The laundry department buys the majority of the detergents used in five-gallon buckets that are connected to a hose that goes to the washing machines. These buckets, when empty, are given away to partners in mission who take them home for use in gardening, etc. These buckets are then used for years, never having to be recycled.
The purchasing department saves boxes and packing materials to give away to partners in mission for a second use. Almost every day, I will take the smaller boxes home, and my son and wife use them to ship items. Every time this happens, one less box is newly produced.
The housekeeping department saves used toilet paper rolls for arts and crafts materials. Making bee hives has been one of the repurposes.
Currently with upcycling: I am working with the maintenance and purchasing departments to find a home for a large carpet cleaner, a deep fryer and several printers. If a product we no longer want is still usable, I always try to find it a home before tossing it into the recycling bin or taking it to Alter Metal Recycling in La Crosse.
Working with the maintenance department, we fix as many broken items around St. Rose as possible. Many times things could be tossed and cheaply replaced, like a fan, but with a bit of work it's usable again and not put into the trash.