Winnipeggers have unwittingly or unknowingly, thrown away thousands of dollars worth of valuable materials and plugged landfills, after storms flooded basements in July.

Although water levels in the basement may have reached a couple of feet, and ruined furniture and carpeting, there's still lots of material which can be recycled.

Paneling and wallboard, and the studs that supported them, get water-damaged, yes. But that's only the bottom foot or so, depending on how high the water rose. The rest of the panel is perfectly good, and shouldn't be thrown away.

That's where Happy Harry's Used Building Materials comes in. For $9.95 an item, I'll pick up flood damaged goods and materials and take them back to my yard at 46 Archibald St. -- instead of plugging up the landfill.

I take a common-sense approach. The damaged parts of paneling or wallboard are cut off, and the good portions are stock-piled, ready to be re-used in another construction project.

But I can't take water-sodden drywall or damaged furniture. Once they get soaked, they're waste, and I wish someone could find a way of using these things, instead of throwing them away.

I'm frankly upset with "the experts" who say the best way to refurbish a flooded basement is throw everything out and start over. That means everything, even the good salvageable stuff, goes into the landfill.

Sure, not everything can be recycled from a flooded basement, but plenty can be. Besides panelling and lumber, there are plumbing fixtures and electrical wiring, doors and windows. Why would anyone want to throw things away that can still be used?

When I get these materials to my yard, they're cleaned, trimmed, then priced affordably so they can be recycled into other projects. Otherwise, they're relics for future garbage archaeologists.

People should stop and ask themselves what can be recycled or re-used when they're cleaning out their basements. We've got to get away from this mind-set that if you, as an individual, can't use something, you throw it away.

No matter what it is, someone, somewhere will find a use for an item, as long as it's in reasonably shape. I see it every day.

What's better is that my pick-up service is cheaper than that offered by the City. But when the City crews pick up items, they take everything directly to the landfill.

Even if the homeowner takes materials to the landfill personally, it'll cost a minimum of $2 in tipping fees, plus time and gas. If a renovator takes the material, he's charged $20 a tone, a fee which is passed on to the homeowner.

I make sure that whatever can be recycled, is recycled. The prices I charge cover my costs and allow a small mark-up. The people who use my recycled materials are pretty sharp, and want quality at low prices.

Which is one reason why I like the recycling business: my customers are an imaginative and innovative bunch of people, the kind who put Winnipeg on the map.

Now if i could only convince more of them to start recycling building materials, we'd solve a lot more of our problems than we realize. We just can't continue to throw things away.