"Innovations" Case Studies

Last Chance Mercantile: A Model for Local Government Recycling and Waste Reduction

The Last Chance Mercantile (Last Chance) is the place where reusable materials get their last chance before ending up in the Monterey Regional Landfill. Constructed together with a major materials recovery facility (MRF) in 1996, the Last Chance has more than doubled the tonnage salvaged and increased revenues from sales of salvaged materials by almost 500 percent.

The Last Chance is a deluxe model of the type of reuse and salvaging operations pioneered in the 1980s by Urban Ore in Berkeley, Calif. Materials salvaged and sold include: furniture; lumber; used building materials; houseswares; garden; hardware/electrical; clothes and textiles; sporting goods; reusable paints, cleaners, pesticides; and automotive parts. Increasingly, communities working to meet the goals of the Integrated Waste Management Act (AB 939, Sher, Chapter 1095, Statutes of 1989 s amended [IWMA]) are including such salvage operations as part of standard designs for transfer stations, MRF's, and landfills.

Table of Contents

• Program Characteristics
• Costs, Economics, and Benefits
• Local Government Challenges, Opportunities, and Tips
• Case Studies
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Credits and Disclaimer

Gary Liss & Associates prepared this study pursuant to contract IWM-C8028 ($198,633, included other services) with the University of California at Santa Cruz for a series of 24 studies and summaries. The Board would like to acknowledge the following individuals who assisted in the preparation of this document:

• David Myers and Heidi Feldman, Monterey Regional Waste Management District.

• Mary Lou Van Deventer, Urban Ore, Inc, who wrote the initial profile of Urban Ore.

The statements and conclusions in this summary are those of the contractor and not necessarily those of the California Integrated Waste Management Board, its employees, or the State of California. In addition, the data in this report was provided by local sources but not independently verified. The State and its contractors make no warranty, express or implied, and assume no liability for the information contained in this text. Any mention of commercial products, companies, or processes shall not be construed as an endorsement of such products or processes.

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Last updated: October 26, 2007