COVENTRY, R.I. (WPRI) — The town of Coventry is launching a first-of-its-kind furniture bank to help families in need and reduce the town’s trash bill.
The furniture bank, which is housed in a large shipping container at the town’s transfer station, will be available for residents beginning June 3.
It is the first municipal furniture bank in Rhode Island, according to Melissa Soares at Coventry’s Department of Public Works.
A solid wood headboard is one of the first pieces of furniture to find a temporary home there.
“Our hopes are to bring unwanted furniture that can be reused into the homes of families that need it,” Soares said.
The DPW also expects a drop in the amount of money the town spends on disposing of solid waste, which will save taxpayers money. Soares said it is too early to estimate cost savings.
“The town is no longer going to be paying to dispose of these items that we were in the past crushing and hauling to the central landfill,” Soares explained.
The town pays $47 per ton to dispose of solid waste.
The town provided Eyewitness News with the most recent ticket report for the disposal of items collected during heavy furniture pickups as well as drop-offs at the transfer station.
Data shows in April, the town disposed of several tons of furniture each day at a cost of more than $8,200. The figure does not include regular trash pickups.
“It’s our greatest disposal cost,” Soares said. “It’s the most common phone call we received on a daily basis. ‘How do I get rid of this item? ‘”
Soares said DPW crews schedule 20 daily stops to pick up furniture.
Only gently used, non-cloth items will be salvaged for the furniture bank, which will be open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30-3 p.m. Items in the bank are free.
Coventry received a matching grant from the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation to launch the furniture bank.