Interesting resources for reusing office items and building materials. > From: Recycle Smart MA <[email protected]> > Date: July 27, 2022 at 9:29:49 AM EDT > > > View this email in your browser > July 27, 2022 > > All for Reuse, and Reuse for All! > Welcome back to our Summer of Reuse series! This month we are delighted to > highlight two very impressive reuse organizations in MA. Both are former > recipients of MassDEP Waste Reduction grants, and each work to reduce waste > by rescuing materials that would otherwise be thrown away and making them > available for purchase at a lower price point. We hope you’ll enjoy hearing > their stories as much as we did! > > The Great Exchange > If you've ever wondered about the fate of perfectly usable desks, chairs and > supplies after an office renovation or a move to a new space, you're not > alone. Meet Dona Neely, the brains and brawn behind the The Great Exchange, > a nonprofit that captures cast-offs from companies and manufacturing > operations and gets them into the hands of schools and nonprofits who need > them. > > > In 2007, Ms. Neely, the Executive Director of the Devens Eco Efficiency > Center, decided to do something about the perfectly good stuff she saw going > into trash dumpsters in the Devens business community. > > Motivated to stop the waste, she gathered 20 Devens-based businesses, > schools, and non-profits to talk about it. Together, they found ways to make > materials that were no longer needed (but otherwise had a lot of life) > available to other organizations who could use them. The event was a huge > success, demonstrating that there WAS a way to prevent unnecessary waste on a > large scale – she just needed to get the ball rolling and the supply would > find the demand. > > > Dona Neely and Amanda Lansing in front of the TGE building. Source > "You Never Know What You'll Find..." > The Great Exchange (TGE), a discount warehouse chockful of surprises and > bargains, was born. About shopping at TGE, Ms. Neely likes to say, “You have > to walk around at least three times to ensure that you see it all!” While > some items are provided on a regular basis from local businesses (like > packing materials that can be reused for shipments), their incoming inventory > is always different. Sometimes they get creative materials, other times they > get furniture and fixtures. It’s a mixed bag, but often a good one. > > Examples of items sold at TGE: > Classroom resources > Creative materials > Health and safety products > Janitorial and kitchen items > Office supplies and furniture > Mailing and shipping needs > Storage containers > And so much more! > And the reasonable prices definitely don’t hurt. At 50% of retail value on > average, the ever-changing inventory attracts shoppers who like a good deal. > Ms. Neely says, “if shoppers don’t find exactly what they were looking > for,...they will often still leave with things that were not on their list, > knowing the original item will show up in a week or two.” > > Since 2007, TGE has expanded beyond expectations. They now have two shopping > venues in Devens and offer over 700 types of new and like-new items. Their > inventory comes from manufacturers, retail stores and other institutions that > are closing, moving, or changing their operation. Their change = our win! > Serving and Supporting the Community 🙌 > Ms. Neely says the priority of TGE is to help institutions invest more in the > delivery of their programs and services by providing them access to office > supplies, furniture, and fixtures at significant savings. The program is not > open to the public, but instead serves community groups, daycare facilities, > schools, libraries, municipal departments, nonprofits, and businesses from > Massachusetts and surrounding states. TGE is especially motivated to support > teachers by providing discounted materials they can use to make learning fun. > > > > This van, used to haul donations, was purchased with funds from MassDEP's > Waste Reduction grant. > "Take-Make-Waste" is Not in Their Vocabulary > The abiding mission of TGE is to help facilitate a transition from the take – > make – waste linear economy to a more efficient circular economy. They do so > by keeping resources in use and providing opportunities to reuse, repurpose, > regenerate them in new and innovative ways. Ms. Neely likes to say that they > regularly collect items for reuse from donors who understand the economic, > social, and environmental benefits of waste prevention, and to that we say, > bravo! Recycle Smart salutes The Great Exchange and all of their donors and > patrons for participating in the circular economy. > Want to learn more about The Great Exchange? Follow them on Facebook, check > out their blog, or even better – visit in person! > Spotlight on Reuse: Boston Building Resources > > From brand new windows and doors, to gently used lighting fixtures and so > much more, Boston Building Resources (BBR) Reuse Center is saving building > materials from the trash and getting it into the hands of families who need > them. > > Homeowners, contractors, retailers, and manufacturers are all on the list of > donors at BBR, supplying building materials that are either unused, > overstocked, or no longer in style from project sites. Deb Beatty Mel and the > team at BBR prepare the donations to be sold to anyone doing home > improvements. > Customers range from local residents to travelers from out-of-state, who can > all check the BBR website for available building materials or visit the > warehouse at Roxbury Crossing in Boston. > > > Looking for inspiration for your next project? Check out BBR's Stories video > blog. Real clients give tours of their homes and show how they used > materials purchased at BBR! > In order to meet their mission to “inspire, educate, and empower homeowners > to increase the efficiency and value of their homes,” BBR welcomes all > shoppers, but offers special pricing to low-income families, allowing > necessary work to be done on a tight budget. For the DIY crowd, the Reuse > Center holds skill-building workshops to further reduce the costs of > installation. > > In 2021, BBR finished a MassDEP grant-funded project to increase the size of > their building and add solar panels. The project allowed them to reduce their > carbon footprint while housing more materials to meet demand. “You’ve got to > see the Reuse Center to fully appreciate all the treasures you can find,” > said Deb. So when thinking about your next DIY, think “Reuse!” and visit > Boston Building Resources to help keep good material out of the trash. > 📚 What We're Reading > Plastic Recycling Is Working, So Ignore the Cynics > CT AG Tong Sues Reynolds Over Non-Recyclable Hefty "Recycling" Trash Bag > Covanta and Center for Ecotechnology Publish Battery Disposal Guide > New CA Law Requires All Packaging to be Recyclable or Compostable > 'Til next time, > > The Recycle Smart Team at MassDEP > > > > > > Copyright © 2022 Recycle Smart MA, All rights reserved. > You are subscribed to our list because you opted in to become a Recycle Smart > Partner with us. > > Our mailing address is: > Recycle Smart MA > 1 Winter St > Boston, MA 02108-4747 > >
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