This 12’x20′ shed was recently installed at Oxford’s Transfer Station to house its new “swap shop.” Transfer Station Ed Knightly told the Advertiser Democrat every item added to the Swap Shop was reclaimed and repurposed by town residents. Nicole Carter / Advertiser Democrat

OXFORD — Oxford’s Transfer Station has initiated a simple program to cut costs on its downstream transportation and disposal expenses.

It has opened the Repurposing Facility, a swap shop of sorts, to give residents the opportunity to pick up second-hand goods in good shape while lightening the loads they previously paid to get rid of.

Transfer Station Manager Ed Knightly said that over the last three months his crew has set aside more than four tons of household “stuff” that in the two weeks, following the Repurposing Facility’s opening, was reclaimed and put back into use.

“There’s not one thing left,” Knightly said. “That’s up to five tons of waste that the town won’t have to pay to get rid of.

People will find bikes, toys and household items available to take.

And while there may occasionally be appliances or other larger items to be found, they should still expect to pay the usual fees to dispose of them, including air conditioners, televisions and electronics.

“If appliances or devices don’t work, we’ll be stuck with paying to dispose of them,” he said.

The repurposing building was paid for through a grant from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection as part of a statewide initiative to stop discarded but still useful items from entering the waste stream.

Except for a 25% match fund, “no tax-payer money was used to set this up,” Knightly said. “We applied for a $10,000 grant. We looked at different scenarios and my assistant, Garrett Haslett, wrote up the request.

“DEP felt so good about how he felt about doing this that they approved it.”

The money the swap shop is saving the town will easily cover the $2,500 it had to contribute and save more down the road.

Knightly said the town is paying for electricity to the building but DEP’s grant paid for the building. It was purchased locally from Great Scott Storage in Oxford.

Last Thursday the swap shop stood empty, as months of stored goods had been repurposed before many knew it was there.

In addition to power, it will have shelving and tables installed. A ramp to provide ADA access will be added as well.

“I think this will help us out a lot,” Knightly said. “People should bring their stuff back to the disposal area separate from their household waste. We’ll look it over and pick what’s good, and then it will go in the shed.

“Just remember that they’ll still have to pay fees on some things, even if we’re able to repurpose it.”