The Price Is Always Right At The 'Take It Or Leave It Shed'

BEDFORD, NY —The "Take It Or Leave It" shed is now open for the season and the unquestionably unique endeavor brought to you by Bedford 2030 is looking for volunteers to help staff the shop.

Bedford residents may drop off unwanted household items that are still in good/working condition, or pick up and repurpose items left by others. Anyone may come and take items for free. The idea behind the The Take It Or Leave It (TIOLI) Shed is to help recycle and reuse items, and reduce consumption and waste.

The Take It Or Leave It shed is open Saturdays 10 a.m. to noon from May until October at the Bedford Hills Train Station Parking Lot (behind the train station by Rt 117). Even when the shed is closed, prospective donors, barterers and treasure hunters can visit the TIOLI Facebook Group.

Bedford 2030 is always looking for volunteers and now that the Take It Or Leave It Shed is open for the summer, the group needs volunteers to work the welcome table every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The fun, but satisfying job involves welcoming guests, helping them sign in and supporting the reuse of goods which would otherwise go to the garbage.

Please note special COVID procedures remain in place at TIOLI Shed.

To donate, just pull up and turn off your car. Open the trunk and volunteers will remove items that are acceptable. If there is too much stuff to store in the shed at the end of the day, donations may stop being accepted prior to closing time.

Visitors should sign in at the welcome table, use hand sanitizer, follow the arrows and take turns.

The shed is closed when it's raining or if the weather is otherwise inclement.

Accepted at the TIOLI Shed:

Clean items that are still in good/working condition, office ware, school supplies, toys, puzzles, crafts, small appliances, small electronics, home decoration, lamps, tools and small hardware, plants, seeds etc.

Not accepted at the TIOLI Shed:

Items with missing parts, broken or dirty items, toys or appliances with dead batteries, sports equipment, items with sponsor names (mugs, binders, water bottles, etc.), luggage, seasonal articles (only accepted when it’s in the season), car seats. The TIOLI Shed cannot accept anything bigger than what would fit in a regular shopping cart.

Please post bigger items, furniture, rugs, outdoor sets or sporting goods on the TIOLI – Bedford Facebook Group.

For the full list of acceptable TIOLI items and what to do with everything else you want to dispose of, visit the Zero Waste Toolkit - Bedford 2030.

Interested volunteers can sign up here or send an email to this address.