Swap Shop Survey ResultsMassRecycle R3 Conference

David Quinn

Regional Waste Reduction Coordinator

Barnstable County

Common Issues

• Old building / needs repairs• Not organized• Volunteers taking all the good stuff• Volunteers reselling items at yard sales• Volunteers accepting items that should

be “trash” or “fee items”• Accepting items that are broken or in

poor condition • Swap Shop used to avoid pay-as-you-

throw bags fees

Barnstable

Bourne

Brewster

Dennis

Dover

Eastham

Egremont

Falmouth

Longmeadow

Marblehead

Medfield

Orleans

Rockport

Sherborn

South Hadley

Truro

Wellesley

Wellfleet

Winchester

Yarmouth

The Survey

20 communities completed the survey:

What is a Swap Shop?

An Old Shed A Large Garage

Basically Anything!

What is a Swap Shop?

Pre-fab building No building / open air

Basically Anything!

What is a Swap Shop?

Fabric Building Inside a container or trailer

Basically Anything!

Most were located at or near the transfer station, but some had separate entrances.

Some open to residents-only, others open to anyone

Residents-only – 17 communities

Non-residents allowed – 3 communities

Where is a Swap Shop?

Staffing Count

Limited staffing with Town employees 1

Mainly Town Staff 3

Town Staff & Volunteers 2

Volunteers 14

Staffing

Complaints about volunteers taking and selling the best items

Accepting items that are not allowed, such as bulky items with a disposal fee

Accepting items that are broken or in poor condition and should have been thrown away

Difficulty keeping the facility clean and organized

Staffing Issues

Only ½ of respondents have any “rules and regulations” related to the swap shop

Swap Shop Rules & Regs

Detailed list of acceptable & unacceptable items

Time limits for “shoppers”

Rules about what volunteers can take for personal use

Volunteer training and approval procedures

Signage/parking requirements

Common Rules & Regs