CAPE ELIZABETH – To ensure that the swap shop at the Recycling Center continues to be a viable community resource into the future, Cape Elizabeth residents are being reminded what items belong at the shop and what should be thrown away, said Recycling Committee chairman Jamie Garvin.

“A rule of thumb” – and something that Cape Elizabeth residents must always consider when leaving an item at the swap shop – is whether their neighbor or friend would use it, said Garvin. “If not, then it probably doesn’t belong here.”

Residents have been finding what they call “valuable” items at the swap shop since the facility opened in 1996, including sporting equipment, books, children’s toys, and everyday household items. But like any community resource, it needs to be maintained, Garvin said.

The Recycling Committee, which oversees the center located off Spurwink Avenue, encourages residents to be good stewards of the facility by recognizing what items are accepted, which include: toys and sporting goods, curtains, dishes, working electronic appliances, yard tools/hardware, kitchen tools, and books and magazines.

“The challenge,” said Garvin, “is that we have become a victim of our own success, because we trained people to not put things in the trash, so they just leave stuff here.”

Building the swap shop was a joint project of the Public Works Department and the Recycling Committee. Since it opened, it has helped the town achieve its goal of reducing the amount of household waste going into the trash stream. Less trash also means lower tipping fees, according to Public Works Director Robert Malley.

While non-residents have been known to use the swap shop, it is intended for Cape Elizabeth residents only, said Malley.

“It really needs guidance,” said Malley, who on Friday searched for a place to hang a new sign at the swap shop, dictating what items can’t be left there.

Residents can benefit from the swap shop by squeezing more life out of gently used items, according to Garvin.

The swap shop is located on the same property as the recycling center on Dennison Drive off Spurwink Avenue and is open on Mondays from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Some items that are prohibited from the facility, but which often show up, said Garvin, include televisions, computer monitors, home office equipment, laptops, mattresses and box springs, sofas, microwaves, refrigerators, tires, and more.

According to Garvin, not only are these items not suitable for the swap shop, but they also require a disposal fee.

“Even if it’s a working item, it’s not supposed to be left here,” said Garvin.

Toys or other items that are dirty, or damaged beyond reasonable repair, should also not be left at the swap shop, said Garvin, as it clutters the shop and only creates unnecessary work for the staff and volunteers. He said the committee plans to make some improvements to the space, including adding some shelving, to help keep it organized.

“We have a place for all of these things,” said Garvin, pointing to a wooden headboard. “It’s just that a lot of people will leave them here because it is the easiest, or they are not sure where to put it, or they might be trying to avoid paying the fee.”

In addition to non-residents using the swap shop, Garvin said that some Cape residents try to spend an afternoon at the shop to gather items they intend to sell at a yard sale or on eBay, which is not encouraged. According to a sign on the side of the building, swap shop visits are limited to 15 minutes per person or one visit per day.

“It’s really a lot of self-policing,” said Garvin. “We try to raise awareness and have people be more cognizant of what the rules are, and what items should be left behind.”

Recycling Committee members aim to educate the community by holding paper-shredding events, a hazardous waste removal day, and by participating in events like Family Fun Day in the summer, during which they hand out educational brochures.

Garvin said that the volunteers and paid staff, which he calls “a huge asset” to the facility, are constantly sifting out the valuable items from the worthless items. Swap shop users are also encouraged to share in the responsibility, he said.

He said many residents, including himself, have stories about the “various treasures” that are found at the swap shop. Both of Garvin’s sons play sports, and half of their equipment came from the swap shop.

Cape Elizabeth resident Beth Mylroie, who visits the swap shop every week, said she collected 50 mugs from the shop this summer that she used in her son’s backyard wedding for serving coffee, and a few of them were even taken home by guests as mementos. As a teacher, Mylroie also finds a lot of reading material for her classroom at the swap shop.

“It’s not junk,” she said, at the facility last week. “It’s recycling. You use something then put it in here and other people retrieve it and put it to good use.”

On one occasion, resident Jim Galgano found a new computer keyboard. On Friday, he had discovered a like-new scratching toy to take home for his cat.

“Stuff that people don’t want or need anymore, other people find use for,” he said.

According to volunteer Linda Surabian, as far as the items that are cycled through the building, “there is a good turnover. Most things go out within a few days. On Mondays and Saturdays, it’s really insane in here,” she said.

Part of Surabian’s job as a volunteer is reminding residents which items don’t belong, like TVs and microwaves, regardless of the condition.

“I tell them bring it to Goodwill, Salvation Army or bring it below and pay to get rid of it,” said Surabian, who is one of three swap shop volunteers.

“I think it’s great,” said another resident, Theresa Fortin, of the swap shop. “It’s like a community center.”

Public Works Director Robert Malley looks for a suitable place to hang a new sign at the swap shop. The Cape Elizabeth Swap Shop had a steady flow of residents looking for gently used items to take home on Friday.  

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