Missoula’s Home ReSource transforms discarded materials into sustainable treasures

MISSOULA, Mont. — On any given afternoon, the yard outside Home ReSource buzzes with a surprising amount of energy.

A car eases into the donation bay. Staff greet the driver, a quick exchange of what is being brought in. The material is gently unloaded not for the landfill, but for another chance at usefulness in someone else’s home.

For more than two decades, that’s been the guiding mission of Home ReSource, Missoula’s nonprofit community sustainability center. Founded in 2003 by University of Montana graduates Lauren Varney and Matt Hisel, the organization was born from a simple yet visionary idea: What if materials casually discarded could become the foundation of a greener local economy?

“Missoulians really want to be sustainable. They want to do the best for our town and so that really speaks to how many people come in both to donate materials but also shop,” said Executive Director Kelli Hess.

What began as a volunteer-run reuse store in a small garage has grown into a bustling enterprise that keeps more than 900 tons of materials each year out of the landfill. The store has everything a homeowner could need including reclaimed doors and windows to odds and ends like nails, hinges and tools.

Some items are reused as intended. Others receive a bit of a transformation through the Revamp program. Things like hollow-core doors can be repurposed into art canvases.

Beyond the store, Home ReSource has become a hub for sustainability education. Its Zero Waste Ambassadors Program teaches fifth graders to think critically about consumption and waste, while the nonprofit’s job training programs prepare adults and youth for work in the green economy. Every month, the center hosts free “Lunch and Learn” events on topics like recycling, repurposing, and building a sustainable community.

Friday afternoons bring Open Woodshop Hours, where locals of all skill levels come to create projects using communal tools and reclaimed materials.

“I don’t think the community really knows that it could have a second life somewhere else,” said Jeremy Gibson, the nonprofit’s maintenance technician. “One person’s garbage is another person’s treasure.”

Last year, Home ReSource also recycled 120,000 pounds of metal, disassembling items that couldn’t otherwise be reused. In total, 1.2 million pounds of material were kept out of Missoula’s landfill.

According to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, the state’s low population density and long distances between markets make traditional recycling costly and complex. Only about 19% of Montana’s waste is currently recycled. That makes creative solutions like Home ReSource especially important.

As America marks National Recycle Day on Nov. 15, Hess hopes Missoulians will widen their view of what recycling can be.

“We’re here to make sure that people also expand their thinking into things like reuse and repurpose and even, reimagine,” Hess said. “Any of the ‘re’ words are so connected to recycling and we’re big on making that happen.”