The City of Bellingham, Washington is known to many as the city of subdued excitement. That all changed early in June when the city was host to the first annual appliance races sponsored by the Appliance Depot. That’s right; top daredevils from around the city climbed onto and into appliances—two washing machines, a double-door refrigerator, and a water heater—mounted with wheels and ready to race.

Although no one was seriously injured, there were a few destroyed “vehicles” and some serious danger throughout the course of the two heats: individual slalom and a head-to-head dash down the hill. But it was all in the name of a good cause and to bring attention to the need to recycle, reuse, and repurpose appliances of all types. (Oh, and to have some fun, too.)

The pictures and the videos convey some of the drama particularly the crash of the Steam Weasel (AKA RE Store Rocket), but it is hard to describe the feeling one gets when staring at an out-of-control fridge carcass mounted on a pink girl’s bike charging down the hill towards you. Hay bales and helmets aside; everyone on the sidelines felt that they shared a fate with the brave drivers should a steering wheel break or caster crumple. But that is what makes for a good event and also makes non-profit leaders sweat and read the fine print of their liability policies.

The first race was also a little bit of a grudge match between the Appliance Depot and the RE Store that both work very hard to make sure that useful materials are short stopped before they end up in a landfill, vacant lot, or by the side of the road. But it was truly all in fun because the two non-profit organizations support each other and their missions, as you should as well. So visit their websites, tweet about them, friend then on facebook, and write them a check if you can. They are truly on the front lines of waste reduction—bend axles, lost wheels, skinned knees and all.

The Appliance Depot is a community owned nonprofit training business that salvages, repairs, and sells used appliances. Public support helps protect the environment, supports local jobs, and promotes a sustainable local economy. All appliances are tested and repaired under the supervision of EPA-certified appliance technicians. The renewed machines are clean, good looking, backed by a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee and priced at up to 50% less than the cost of a new appliance.

RE Store saves disposal costs for homeowners, builders, and business owners, while providing high quality building materials at discounted prices. This creates jobs and opportunities for reuse, education and innovation at every step of the process. They stock quality building and home improvement materials at prices that are up to 50% less than the cost of new items. The RE Store also offers a wide variety of services including pickups, salvage, and full building deconstruction. Retail stores are located in Bellingham and Seattle, Washington. A fleet of trucks visit job sites, businesses, homes, and storage facilities throughout western Washington. The RE Store is a leader in the used building materials industry, a valued member of the community, and a winner of local, state, and national awards.

So don‘t let your next home remodeling project or appliance purchase crash into your wallet and the environment. Check out RE Store and The Appliance Depot, or a similar business near you. Renew it and reuse it!