City of Houston Building Materials Reuse Warehouse

1. City of Houston Building Materials Reuse Warehouse Connecting Your Excess Construction Materials with Community Groups www.houstonreuse.org

2. What is it? • The Reuse Warehouse accepts building materials that are in new or reusable condition from builders, remodelers, businesses and the general public.

3. How does it work? • Materials are accepted for FREE. • Materials are distributed for FREE to non-profit groups. • The facility has 11,000 sq ft. of covered space but is not climate controlled.

4. Where is it? The Warehouse is located at 9003 N. Main, just a few miles north of the Inner loop, and a mile off of the I-45 Crosstimbers exit. 9003 N. Main St. Houston, TX 77022

5. Why is the City doing this? • Mayor White tasked his Office of Environmental Programming to examine new ways to encourage recycling. • Sarah Mason, a Senior Environmental Analyst in the Mayor’s Office of Environmental Programming, came upon a 2004 – 2005 study completed by H-GAC and HARC, that showed approximately 38% of the waste stream in the Houston area is construction and demolition(C&D) material, and determined to see what the City could do to encourage the diversion of some of this material. • Nationally, C&D Warehouses/Re-Use Stores have proven a common model of providing needed storage. Many of these have shown success not only at diverting material but also at providing community development opportunities. • Locally, Dan Phillips of Huntsville, TX worked with the city of Huntsville to establish a warehouse at the local transfer station. Dan uses reclaimed material to build homes that are affordable both in acquisition and operation. • www.phoenixcommotion.com Background and Concept

6. Environmental Stewardship: Reuse Warehouse To create and nurture a culture wherein there is a demand for reclaimed housing materials because of the value they offer. To provide a model of opportunity for using this material stream in housing through a pilot initiative which fosters partnership between community stakeholders. To examine how the City of Houston may help support a community organization in addressing the storage of reclaimed material. Guiding Objectives

7. How we got our start • Awarded $150,000 H-GAC Solid Waste Reduction Grant, 2008 • Utilizing surplus City of Houston property • 9003 N. Main Houston, TX 77022 • Partnering with Living Paradigm • Officially opened for operation June 23rd, 2009 • 29 Tons Diverted as of August 25th, 2009 • Complementary site use will include an additional neighborhood depository, recycling drop-off, and office space Details Reuse Warehouse Now Open! Reuse Warehouse Preopening

8. What does my business get out of it? • Greener Business Processes • Simplified process for getting materials into the hands of groups that can use them. • Donation Receipt • Tracking of loads by weight (useful for LEED projects) • Ton Club Recognition (1, 5, 10, 25 tons) • Potentially reduced disposal costs

9. What does the Warehouse take? Bricks, Doors, Lighting Fixtures, Lumber, Plywood, Roofing Material, Sinks, Showers, Sheetrock, Shingles, Tile, Toilets (low flow only), Tools What does the Warehouse not take? Paint, Appliances, Upholstered Furniture, Broken Items, Rotten Wood, Previously Used Asphalt Shingles, Fluorescent Light Fixtures *We are Reuse not a Recycling Center*

10. Other Reuse Centers Already in Operation Model Warehouses Materials for the Arts: NYC, NY BRING Recycling: Glenwood, OR TIP (Trash Into Plowshares) Warehouse: Huntsville, TX Historic Houston: Houston, TX Habitat Re-Store: Houston, TX

11. Current Initiatives - Pilot Residential and Building Site Pickup Programs - Partnership with Living Paradigm Potential Initiatives • - Dropoff boxes at Neighborhood Depositories • Saturday Hours • Building Workshops

12. Contact Information City of Houston Building Materials Reuse Warehouse 9003 N. Main Houston, TX 77022 281-814-3324 reuse.warehouse@cityofhouston.net www.houstonreuse.org