Donate First, Trash Second – Muscular Moving Men & Storage to the Rescue

The dreaded process of moving. Not only can this be a stressful experience, but it also has a tendency of taking a toll on our environment. In truth, moving is a proven cause of unnecessary waste. According to the website Move Buddha, humans produce nearly 16.4 billion pounds of waste annually as a result of moving. And with Americans projected to move 20% more next year than in previous years, planet Earth can count on an excessive amount of unnecessary waste in the near future.

As a trusted Arizona-based moving and storage provider, Muscular Moving Men & Storage has a long reputation for moving, packing, storage and more. The company recognized the unique opportunity it had to serve as a steward of sustainability. So, in November of 2020, it expanded its services to meet this need through its M3 Junk Removal division of M3 Commercial Moving & Logistics. Its goal is simple: to guarantee donation of certain items back to charities.

“Our team at M3 Junk Removal is on a mission to guarantee the donation of certain assets to charitable partners in our community for those in significant need,” says Jim Stevens, vice president of M3 Commercial Moving & Logistics. “We have already made a positive impact, but we’ve just scratched the surface. We look forward to exceeding our community impact goals moving forward and I’m proud of the team’s relentless determination to do so.”

Ever since M3 Junk Removal’s “donate first, trash second” model launched in November 2020, the company has been focused on creating a solution. Thus far, the program has kept more than 300,000 pounds of waste out of landfills. What’s more, the company saw the chance to save these assets and, instead, began donating items to benefit local charities. When M3 leaders started looking for items they could donate, they realized just how much was available that was previously being thrown away. Excited by this opportunity to build a more sustainable business model, they began prioritizing this part of their service.

“We are picking up amazing furniture that still has life left in them every day. Coming up with an infrastructure that revolves around saving assets has been a very difficult but rewarding process,” says Ethan Delahunty, director of M3 Junk Removal. “We are taking truckloads of items every single month to local organizations. With these massive quantities comes a need for efficient processes.”

3M has been mindful to keep its process simple yet efficient. When they pick up items from a site, 3M’s movers evaluate if they are suitable for donation. Those that are usable are then donated rather than being discarded to a landfill. By providing local charities with quality items, the company has been able to foster great relationships with the community and with important causes — while aiding our environment. Since the launch of the junk division, M3 has donated about 250,000 pounds of furniture and household goods to UMOM, Project C.U.R.E., New Life Center, Hope’s Closet, Furnishing Dignity, Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul.

To expand on this mission, M3 leaders decided to explore other ways to help the local community and started to hold charity events with local organizations. In the months of February, March and April, the company hosted a food drive with The Society of St. Vincent de Paul. This drive helped St. Vincent De Paul continue to feed vulnerable families in need. During the food drive, M3 Junk Removal coordinated drop-offs and pickups of complimentary donation boxes to local businesses. With the help of more than 20 local businesses around the Valley, M3 Junk Removal was able to donate a truckload of food to the organization.

Most recently, M3 began working with Homeless Engagement Lift Partnership (HELP) in a backpack drive to support Arizona children experiencing homelessness. Working in conjunction with HelpSnackz, a program that improves students’ lives by aiding children in our community who go to bed hungry every night, M3 has expanded its giving efforts to support our local youth. For many of these kids, the only meals they receive are through their school’s breakfast or lunch programs. Through the execution of two HelpSnackz events, M3 team members were able to pack 18,000 snack bags, providing a helping hand to our local youth in need. Through this program and many more, Muscular Moving Men & Storage and M3 Junk Removal are making a positive impact, one issue and one cause at a time.

Support HelpSnackz

Through HelpSnackz’s monthly subscription program, a monthly donation ensures that each homeless child will have food available to them every school day of the year. The impact and emotional support that every HelpSnackz Subscription provides is truly priceless.

HELP can stop the cycle of homelessness in one generation.

Tyler Butler is head of Corporate Responsibility for Aventiv Technologies, where she leads programs that positively impact society. She is also founder and principal of 11Eleven Consulting and is often cited as a subject-matter expert by Forbes, SHRM, Entrepreneur, U.S. News and World Report and more.