Photo of tiny houses built from recycled materials by BARC Kaleva. Photo by Valerie Chandler.
Story and photos by Valerie Chandler
I love finding great deals and shopping, so what could possibly make this experience better? Supporting a local business that gives to charities, and it all helps our earth.
In 2008, one man with a truck, and an idea to increase recycling efforts in northern Michigan, formed Bay Area Recycling for Charities, commonly known as BARC. Based in Traverse City, BARC serves Grand Traverse, Antrim, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Benzie and Manistee counties. The organization has grown from one truck to eight trucks, dozens of trailers, four semi-trucks, and 15 semi-trailers, positioning them as the largest recycler in the state.
Shopping to save
In addition to BARC’s Traverse City recycling location, the nonprofit has a 10,000-square-foot recycling center in Kaleva that includes a 2,400-square-foot resale store employing 16-18 individuals. I was curious why Kaleva was chosen as its resale site. I learned the area was identified as having the greatest need. The site is also centrally located for its customers, who travel from as far south as Muskegon and who make the trek from Leelanau County’s northern reaches.
The Kaleva Resale Shop offers rotating monthly sales on a variety of goods ⸺ from apparel, jewelry, electronics and kitchenware to reclaimed sinks, windows and doors, to home goods, toys and brand-new items. Of note are box after box of new and used doodads and thinga-ma-jigs (hardware) that will delight contractors and do-it-yourselfers. Then there’s the growing book corner, where long-forgotten copies of old titles sometimes lurk among the newer releases. You never know what kind of treasures could be waiting for you to uncover.
The shop also offers affordable, eco-friendly alternatives for households and businesses that are planning events. Their compostable table and service wares are on display and available for order from the Kaleva location. Using biodegradable products is one way to reduce our ecological footprint.
Reducing landfill waste
BARC accepts almost any household item, and if it can’t be recycled in whole or part, the item is sent to other recyclers for further breakdown. BARC accepts number 1-7 plastics, ink cartridges, car and household batteries, appliances, televisions, mattresses, metal, wire, tires and more.
Annually, millions of pounds of e-waste (electrical or electronic items) are dumped into landfills. E-waste has toxins that take hundreds of years to break down, and they pollute our air, water and soil. BARC recycles electronics as well as items containing Freon, such as refrigerators, air conditioners and freezers. When customers of certain utilities properly recycle these items, they receive rebates from services such as Traverse City Light & Power and Cherryland Electric Cooperative. There is a minimal fee to recycle appliances with Freon, but most people get double the cost back when claiming the rebates.
Each year, BARC deconstructs approximately six homes set for demolition and repurposes the materials to build affordable tiny homes. Approximately 80% of the tiny-home square footage is created from one deconstructed home. Other materials are repurposed into flower boxes, outdoor furniture and more; they are for sale at BARC’s Kaleva location.
Recycling a mattress will save a 40-cubic-foot, gas-emitting pocket from landfills. In addition to accepting household mattresses, BARC provides bulk-mattress removal for hotels, hospitals, colleges/universities, nursing homes and assisted living communities across Michigan and much of the Midwest. Some mattresses are disassembled and repurposed for insulation in their tiny homes. Mattress springs have been sold in the resale shop as table notions for weddings and other events.
According to PIRG.org, Americans discard more than 1,000 pounds of food per person in one year, making it a significantly growing problem. One way to combat food waste is through the process of composting. BARC composts over 600,000 pounds of food waste each year. Though they have reached capacity, they are diligently working to increase their ability to collect and compost more organic material.
Giving to charities
I had the opportunity to speak with Karla Smith-Kasten, recycling coordinator for BARC. She said she became involved with BARC after the Kaleva location had a fire about five years ago. Karla took food to the firefighters and met the owner while the cleaning crew was on site. Now, part of her work includes collaborating with Manistee, Wexford and Oceana counties for household hazardous waste collection and disposal. I asked her what she liked best about her job, and she quickly responded, “Just being able to meet the people in the community and being able to help.”
She added, “People see things as garbage, and we see something different.”
To help cover the cost of processing, BARC charges a small fee for most items. For larger and less common items, an additional fee may be incurred. There is a nominal cost for scheduled pick-ups, more for those 30 miles beyond their Traverse City facility.
All donations and purchases help BARC expand its recycling services and positively impact our environment through the concept of “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Through responsible waste management and the creation of environmentally conscious compostables, BARC can reinvest 100% of its profits in donations to local nonprofits and charities. On average, more than $20,000 worth of in-kind goods and services ⸺ including compostables, waste services and fundraising events ⸺ are donated each year. No other local organization focuses exclusively on recycling, supplying compostables to local businesses, and hosting low-to-no-cost, zero-waste special events.
BARC Kaleva alone supports and donates to approximately 15-20 local charities. Karla spoke about the multitude of ways they donate. They provide children’s books to the Maple Grove Township Community Center and the Lions Club, and to hospitals and children’s events. They donate clothes and household items to local families that experience loss due to fires. They prepare necessity boxes for the homeless, donate to the Angel Project that makes beds for children, and they work with the Big Bear Sportsman’s Club and Staircase Youth Services to provide bikes to children and to teens who need transportation for work.
Sharing the message
BARC has a mission to inspire an environmental culture by educating people on the long-term value of recycling and making green choices simple and accessible to individuals and organizations throughout the region. Karla mentioned she provides presentations to teach others about recycling, and this fall she will be working with the local library to teach and encourage kids about recycling efforts.
If you’re interested in volunteering at Bay Area Recycling for Charities, they are always looking for recycling enthusiasts to help with programs. When you volunteer, you support BARC’s goal to prevent potentially valuable and reclaimable materials from going to landfills and polluting the environment.
Visit the recycling center and resale shop at 14407 Industrial Dr. Resale store hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Recycling drop-off hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call them at 231-492-6138. To learn more and shop online, visit BARC’s website at mybarc.org.
Valerie Chandler lives in Wellston with her husband Matthew and their border collie/Australia shepherd. A citizen and employee of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, she is also a cancer survivor who loves to spend time with her family and has many interests.
