The Heart of Seattle Awards recognize Seattle & Puget Sound retail and service businesses that set a high bar for what good business should be — with stellar social and environmental priorities, ethical business practices, happy employees, and loving customers.

If you agree that our efforts to divert waste through architectural salvage merit an award (or if you’re a fan of our convenient with our online inventory or robust calendar of free events) we ask that you take a moment to vote for us!

Votes are cast here: https://apps.facebook.com/my-polls/who-should-win-the-2018-heart-of-seattle-awards-2459361

Thank you for your support!

Second Use was nominated for our effort to divert reusable building materials from the landfill, thereby creating opportunities for homeowners, contractors and the community to repurpose materials and educating them about reclaimed items. In the past year, Second Use diverted 3,000 tons of waste from the landfill, saved the equivalent of 400,000 gallons of gas and 3,000 tons of CO2 pollution through reducing manufacturing demands, donated over $200,000 to Habitat for Humanity, provided over 100 artists the opportunity to sell their work at their tri-annual markets, collected over 1,000 cans of reusable paint from the community and redistributed it to low income families, neighborhood cleanup programs, schools, community centers, and artists in want of paint, showcased the work of 35 local artists at their Art and Design Competition, and taught over 250 people new skills through free workshops.

Thank you, our customers, for being part of the community that makes our mission sustainable and to Sustainable Seattle for this generous award.

We thank you for your support, involvement, and motivation to keep on going. In 2015 alone, we have:

• Diverted 3,000 tons of waste from the landfill
• Saved the equivalent of 400,000 gallons of gas and 3,000 tons of CO2 pollution through reducing manufacturing demands
• Donated over $200,000 to Habitat for Humanity
• Surpassed the $2 Million mark in total donations to Habitat for Humanity since 1997
• Provided over 100 artists the opportunity to sell their work at their markets with no percentage of sales taken
• Collected over 1,000 cans of reusable paint from the community and redistributed it to low income families, neighborhood clean up programs, schools, community centers, and artists in want of paint
• Provided a day of free food and entertainment to over 1,000 guests at Fall Festival
• Showcased the work of 25 local artists at our Art and Design Competition
• Taught over 200 people new skills through free workshops
• Extended their space to various nonprofits at no charge including the Northwest Eco Building Guild and Backyard Barter
• Been recognized as a finalist in the 2015 Sustainability Awards

We look forward to finishing off 2015 with the same momentum and seeing what 2016 holds!