#inthenews – Second Use Building Materials and Salvage

2014 Second Use on KOMO TV

Mary Anne Carter — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 22:40:50 +0000

KOMO News recently featured Second Use on their EcoConsumer segment. Thank you KOMO for highlighting our mission and recognizing the value of salvage!

2014 Second Use Featured on The Reclaimed Wood Blog

Mary Anne Carter — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 22:38:59 +0000

Greg Cater of The Reclaimed Wood Blog recently paid a visit to Second Use for a tour with our receiving manager, Wes Isbell. Cater details his visit in his recent article, “Salvage Made Easy.”

“There are several reasons why we go to the salvage yard, ” the article begins. “It might be the thrill of the hunt, to save a buck or two, or maybe we just can’t bear to see good things going to the landfill. No matter the reason, when you think about the salvage yard, what probably comes to mind is piles of disorganized building materials and way too much time spent hoping you’ll find what you’re looking for. If that’s your perception I’m pretty sure you haven’t stopped in at Second Use in Seattle.”

Greg highlights our organized storefront, online inventory, and relationship with Habitat for Humanity. We couldn’t be more thankful for his recognition and encourage you to check out the full article on The Reclaimed Wood Blog.

2014 Seattle PI to Feature Second Use Inventory in Monthly Gallery

Mary Anne Carter — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 22:36:33 +0000

We could not be more flattered to be the subject of the Seattle PI’s new, monthly gallery of “odd and exotic treasures.”

“We’ve long admired Second Use’s quirkier items, and the lighthearted commentary that accompanies their online listings. So, we’ve decided to feature some of their most distinctive offerings once a month,” explained Seattle PI journalist Aubrey Cohen.

We thank Aubrey and the team at the Seattle PI for the opportunity and encourage you tocheck it out online. Do you agree with their taste?

2012 Creative Reuse by Dan Phillips

Mary Anne Carter — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 21:42:39 +0000

For those who love salvage, check out this Ted Talk from 2010, featuring homes by Dan Phillips. His creative reuse is about as creative as it comes. He even has a salvaged bathroom made to simulate a glass of beer, complete with a faucet from a beer tap.

[ted id=1015 lang=en]

2012 Second Use Homes on Houzz.com

Mary Anne Carter — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 18:18:58 +0000

If you’re a fan of Houzz, an online magazine that features home design specifically through high-quality photos, you may have seen Second Use homes popping up. Freelancer Louise Lakier is a friend and fan of Second Use and salvage in general. After visiting Second Use’s Customer Project Gallery, she asked for permission to reach out to a number of Second Use customers who took on big remodels with salvage. The result was a number of photojournalistic pieces that showed off just how beautifully salvage can fit into any home. See the final pieces here, and keep checking back because Louise is working on even more stories!

If you think you have a home of salvage that would make a good edition to Houzz, e-mailelena@seconduse.dev with your contact information, a couple pictures, and a few details about your work.

Posted 4/13/2012

2012 Make Your Old Hardware Look Like New

Mary Anne Carter — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 18:05:04 +0000

Antique door hardware can change the whole look of a place for the better. The problem is, with all the years the piece used to build up its beautiful vintage look, it may have built up other problems, too. The good news is there’s an easy formula to strip vintage hardware of its paint or other buildup. (We keep this recipe and other DIY tips on the Second Use DIY Guide.) The hardware recipe is cheap and uses everyday materials you already have in the house. It will make your antique hardware look as good as new again… only old.

Check out the before and after shots from one Second Use employee who used her snow day for a greater good.

2011 Put a Value on Nature

Mary Anne Carter — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 17:55:09 +0000

Pavan Sukhdev explains how natural resources provide a lot more than meets the eye, economically, on Ted. For instance, at 4:02, he explains that the value of bee pollination is worth about $190 billion or 8 percent of the total agricultural output globally. He goes on to explain that 60 percent of medicines were first found as molecules in a rainforest or reef. Who should get paid for these kinds of resources, and who is actually getting paid? Nature is undervalued and often under-appreciated. If we work to protect our natural resources, we’re helping our economy.

Posted 12/15/2011

[ted id=1303]

2011 More Recycling Could Create 1.5 Million Jobs

Mary Anne Carter — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 17:39:42 +0000

As politicians and business leaders try to make sense of the recession and figure out how we can pull ourselves out of it, they seem to be missing a key component– recycling.

A new report titled, “More Jobs, Less Pollution: Growing the Recycling Economy in the U.S.” shows that if we increased the nation’s recycling rate to 75 percent by 2030, it could create 1.5 million jobs. The reason is because collecting and processing trash is more labor intensive than simply throwing it out. Increasing recycling would also have huge environmental benefits, including eliminating 276 million metric tons of pollution or the equivalent of shutting down 72 power plants.

The report also highlights the benefits salvage. It references an estimate by the Deconstruction Institute of Sarasota, Fla., that says, “Deconstruction of a 2,000-square-foot home will create 38 more worker-days at a living wage than would demolition.”

Page 22 of the report draws attention to Seattle, in particular, and discusses the city’s large-scale composting program and waste diversion goals.

So, rest easy knowing that your efforts to reduce waste are not only good for your own pocketbook; they’re good for the overall economy of the nation.

Posted 11/22/2011