Too-Good-to-Throw-Away-Shed Continues to Serve the Public

Back in 2012, Sandy Henbest had an idea: Let's build a structure at a county trash/recycling transfer station where people can leave items that are too good to throw away, and others can pick them up and make use of them rather than serviceable items going into the landfill. With an OK from the county, funding from NAPS, help from some area businesses and a lot of elbow grease from NAPS members, by early August 2012 the shed was in operation.

Nearly six years later, the Too-Good-to-Throw-Away-Shed at the Horsehead transfer site is still serving its function – supporting recycling, lessening the rapid filling of landfills, and providing a means for people to acquire items they need. Although some people break the rules (no paints, no liquids no TVs, no clothes, no hazardous materials, no mattresses, no toilets, no tires, no junk), local thrift shop personnel and some who work on or near the site have done a great job keeping it clean and uncluttered – serviceable items normally disappear within a day or so.

Recently, Sandy had new signage created to show the list of rules in a more prominent location.

The Too-Good-to-Throw-Away-Shed is located at the Horsehead trash/recycling transfer station, 11705 Northumberland Hwy. (US 360 between Heathsville and Burgess). The hours of operation are 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily, except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

History: In 2012, NAPS donated the cost of materials ($1,287.75) for the Too-Good-to-Throw-Away-Shed structure which was built by Ken Shepard and a volunteer crew from NAPS (Lee Allain, Bill Estell, Ernie Flynn, Lynton Land, and Sandy & John Henbest, with Nan Flynn as architect). Allison Hardware donated paint, Lillian Lumber offered a discount on building materials, and Lowery Concrete provided the concrete for the pilings. Omega Protein's Monty Deihl provided the signage. Special thanks go to County Administrator Kenny Eades for the county's support of the project.