Company waste management has been an important issue for many years. The common linear economy, which is described as a “take, make, and dispose of” economy, has troubled those who see this as a contributing factor to climate change. A response to this problem is an approach called a circular economy, which is more of a “take, make, reuse and repurpose” system. This has been of particular interest to Dona Neely, the founder of The Great Exchange in Devens.
A volunteer stocks donated items.(Courtesy photo)
The Press was given a tour of The Great Exchange’s two facilities in Devens, one on Andrews Parkway, and the other off Sherman Avenue. Neely described the nonprofit as a program to help establishments improve the sustainability of their operations and make better use of their resources. Neely said she became painfully aware of the valuable resources that were being thrown away on a daily basis, and just about 12 years ago she created the Great Exchange. At first the nonprofit held events for businesses to meet and swap materials; however, that became far too difficult to maintain as the program expanded.
Over time, Neely acquired the facilities where she houses all the materials. Currently, the organization has provided its services to roughly 700 different organizations across five states. Pre-COVID, the organization collected nearly 50 tons of material every year—items that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. Neely’s business partner, Amanda Lansing, is the current program administrator, and they also have two volunteers. For the previous 10 years however, Neely was on her own, describing it as a “labor of love,” and Lansing said she is “constantly in awe that this was built by her, by herself.”
The expansive facilities house materials ranging from office supplies, manufacturing byproducts, moving supplies, and containers to teaching supplies, tables, chairs, and much more.
A variety of office furniture at The Great Exchange in Devens. (Photo by Peter Canova)
The first building holds most of the smaller items, while the second holds the larger pieces such as tables, chairs, and filing cabinets. The variety of products the exchange has in its inventory seems endless, and items that could be considered trash have been used for imaginative purposes. Neely explained that there is a business in Devens that gives the exchange wooden spools of all shapes and sizes, and one school repurposed them into kids’ chairs, while another organization, a farm, used them for their goats to play with.
Schools, nonprofits, youth organizations like the YMCA, municipal departments, small- to medium-sized businesses, and day care centers have all been beneficiaries of The Great Exchange. Pat Natoli, administrative assistant for the police, fire, and public works departments, told the Press she has saved a lot of money buying from The Great Exchange. She said using a large supply company such as WB Mason is wasteful because it requires buying in bulk. At The Great Exchange, an organization can buy new or like-new goods for about half the price. All items are marked down anywhere from 40% to 60% off retail price.
Any organization is welcome to shop at The Great Exchange, but it is not open to the general public. Neely told the press that many companies will give the organization their unwanted supplies. “We go in there and we do all the work … they don’t incur the labor-related expense of gathering the items. And at the same time, they’re saving money because they don’t have to pay to dispose of the material or to haul it out to their dumpster.” Neely went on to say that money was not the only incentive for these businesses, as they were contributing to both their community and the environment.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit has struggled. Neely said, “It was pretty painful. We couldn’t go anywhere to get materials and nobody was coming in.” The organization instead focused its efforts on reorganizing the space and creating new marketing initiatives, including a new website. With organizations beginning to reopen their doors, including schools, The Great Exchange is hopeful that many of their previous customers and even new ones will come to shop.
For more information about The Great Exchange or to reserve a time to shop, visit their website at tgedevens.com or call 978-772-8831.
