Moving? Give your bulky belongings a new lease on life!

Would you like to get rid of your old furniture or household appliances? You bought a new computer and you'd like to get rid of your old model in an environmentally-friendly way? Think about giving a new lease on life to all those things which, otherwise, might wind up on the street or in landfill sites.

Re-use—which consists of salvaging things and turning them to good account again—makes it possible to give to others what we are no longer using or even to innovate in order to find new uses for such things. This is not only an efficient, economical and environmentally-friendly way of disposing of our old, bulky belongings, but also an action that stimulates job creation near your home. Ville de Montréal has issued a very helpful directory of addresses for this purpose. This guide, entitled Couleur bazar, allows you to easily locate the local retailers that salvage these types of goods.

An online copy of this guide, in PDF format, may be found at the following website: ville.montreal.qc.ca/couleurbazar, where you may also make an online search in the Répertoire des adresses du réemploi (a directory of re-use establishments)—a very interesting reference tool. If you don't have access to the Internet, you may obtain a copy of Couleur bazar at the Accès Verdun office or at La Maison de l’environnement, both of which are located in Borough Hall, 4555, rue de Verdun.

There is another program, called RECYC-FRIGO Environnement, which salvages high-energy-consumption refrigerators and freezers over 10 years old. By disposing of your old appliances through this program, you will receive a $60 reward!

To find out what the eligibility requirements are within this program or to make an appointment for home pick-up of your appliances, go to the following website: www.recyc-frigo.com, or phone 1-877-493-7446 (FRIGO).

If you prefer, you may dispose of your bulky belongings at one of the six eco-centres within the Montréal Agglomeration. These centres accept items that aren't picked up during the regular collection of household waste, such as clothing, household appliances, furniture, construction or demolition debris, etc. The eco-centre closest to Verdun is Écocentre Eadie, at 1868, rue Cabot, near rue Saint-Patrick, in the Sud-Ouest Borough. For further information, please phone 514 872-8359.