Everything old is new again at the Reuse Rendezvous
By Lethbridge Herald on May 7, 2025.
Joe Manio
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Spring is here and following in the wake of spring cleaning, comes the 15th Reuse Rendezvous on Saturday, to help Lethbridge residents clear the clutter from their garages and closets.
First launched by the City of Lethbridge in 2011, Reuse Rendezvous is now helmed by Environment Lethbridge and gives residents the opportunity to give away unwanted gently-used items to people who can use them.
“Reuse Rendezvous is an easy way to clean out your closets and find new homes for items that you no longer need,” says Environmental Lethbridge Executive Director Kathleen Sheppard. “It’s also a great opportunity to find new-to-you treasures. For anyone who has some odds and ends that have accumulated in their garage or basement, this is a great way to get rid of some unwanted items.”
Held twice annually in May and September, the event finds new homes for thousands of items, diverting them from the landfill. Hundreds of households participate in Reuse Rendezvous every year. Environment Lethbridge estimates that residents divert some 1,800 boxes of smaller items and nearly 2,000 mid-to-large sized items such as electronics and furniture.
“Freecycling these items not only benefits homeowners, it’s good for the environment,” says Sheppard. “People give away everything from furniture to second-hand books. If it’s in good condition and you can get it to the curb, chances are that someone will give it a new home.”
Participating in Reuse Rendezvous is easy. After registering online, residents should place items marked “Free” in front of their homes before 9 a.m. on Saturday. Throughout the day, residents can cruise the streets and help themselves to any of the items, free of charge. Any items remaining after 5 p.m. should be reclaimed by their original owners.
Residents who wish to participate are also encouraged to register their location on an online map (similar to apps which show the locations of yard sales) hosted by Environment Lethbridge. Participants are also reminded to only take items that are clearly marked as “Free” and to ensure items that are not part of the event are secured in order to prevent unfortunate mix-ups.
To prevent their unwanted items from ending-up in landfills (which would defeat the purpose of Reuse Rendezvous), residents can also donate their gently-used items by dropping them off at various Lethbridge organizations that run thrift stores like the Mission Thrift Store and Value Villages. Other organizations have donation bins at various locations across Lethbridge, including Inclusion Lethbridge and Diabetes Canada.
Like other organizations that accept donations, Mission Thrift Store on the South Side sees a sharp increase in donation traffic after Reuse Rendezvous; along with donations from weekend yard sales during the Summer. According warehouse manager Shari Evans, approximately 75 per cent of the items donated are reusable.
“We repair and repurpose the rest,” says Evans. “We try to avoid putting anything in the Dumpster.”
Because many of the 300 volunteers who operate the Mission Thrift Store are also do-it-yourself builders, crafters and artists, they are encouraged to take unrepairable items home so that they can be used for parts and materials.
More information about Reuse Rendezvous, including how to register, can be found at the Environment Lethbridge website (www.environmentlethbridge.ca/reuse) or on Environment Lethbridge’s Facebook page.
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