By Adam Brown
WKTV Contributor
Have you ever looked in a closet or storage area and found old household products you no longer use?
For many, that answer is likely yes. We may keep these old, unusable household products around simply because we do not know how to dispose of them. That’s where the “Swap Shop” operated by the Kent County Department of Public Works (KCDPW) comes in.
Since opening in January 2022, the Swap Shop has offered a collection of gently used household products. Residents may drop off products they no longer need at the KCDPW’s satellite sites that utilize Kent County’s SafeChem free disposal program. Resource recovery specialists inspect the items and transport them to the Swap Shop, where they are available to the public for free.
The Swap Shop asks residents who take products to sign a reuse waiver and return unused products to a SafeChem satellite site. This combination of easy disposal and free pickup and collection likely made the Swap Shop a hit in the local community.
What is the Swap Shop?
Located at 1045 Wealthy St. SW, the Swap Shop holds an ever-changing inventory of household cleaners, automotive supplies, and lawn products available to anyone who may need them.
“Instead of sending gently used products for disposal, we reclaim them and add them to our Swap Shop inventory,” said Jonathan Neracher, a resource revery specialist at the department, as he outlined the central mission of the Swap Shop. “The Swap Shop is a community resource where people who may not be able to buy these products, or are really committed to reusing them, can pick up and use them in their households. The bottom line: we’d rather see these products be used than end up anywhere else.”
Neracher added that the Kent County Department of Public Works team is aware of the cost saving opportunity that something like the SwapShop would provide as well as being huge fans of reusing items that are still in good condition.
What type of products are available at the Swap Shop?
Though the Swap Shop inventory constantly changes, the most common products include:
• Automotive supplies (brake fluid, oil, car wash supplies)
• Household items (drain cleaner, spray paint, stains, varnishes, thinners, adhesives)
• Lawn and garden care products (weed killer, pool supplies, and insect repellent)
• Personal care products (soaps, nail polish, shampoo)
Each month, the Swap Shop adds nearly 1,000 pounds of product to its inventory, recently including more than 160 full or almost full propane cylinders.
Impact on the community
Neracher attributes the Swap Shop’s success and extensive inventory to one factor: the fact that it is free.
“I have yet to meet a resident who didn’t like the idea of free stuff,” he said. “Some of our customers are retirees looking for a productive low cost project to work on, others are new homeowners that need to put some TLC into their new home. We’ve had teachers looking for supplies for class projects and artists looking to create using waste.”
The accessibility of free household products at the Swap Shop allows residents to avoid a costly trip to the store for the same or similar items. They can also try out different products without needing to pay for them. If the consumer does not need the product they try, they can simply return it to the Swap Shop.
Why the Swap Shop matters in today’s world
Recycling and reusing have become more critical than ever due to the rising environmental impacts of human activities.
“The SwapShop, SafeChem Program and Sustainable Business Park shows the county’s dedication to reducing waste and providing a more sustainable framework for the world we want to live in,” Neracher said. “When you Swap at the Swap Shop you [are] not only saving money for the county and yourself, but that is one less bag of fertilizer that needs to be produced, one less bottle [of] drain cleaner being taken off the shelves, one less propane tank going into circulation, one less quart of motor oil being refined.”
With global inflation rates impacting nearly all consumer goods, the Swap Shop’s model of free products makes it a rare commodity in today’s market. That model of “free” will keep the Swap Shop as an integral part of the Grand Rapids community for years to come.
In the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, there are two SafeChem satellite sites. The City of Wyoming Clean Water Plant, 2350 Ivanrest SW, Grandville, and the City of Kentwood Public Works Facility, 5068 Breton Rd. SE. For more information about the KCDPW’s SafeChem satellite sites and a list of products they accept, click here.
