News and Events

Don't spill your coffee! Buy a Second Use travel mug. The Second Use logo over the faux wood will start your morning off right. They sell for $12 a piece, and you can pick one up at the register as you check out. The mugs also make great gifts.

Posted 1/20/2012

Many customers have expressed an interest in seeing how others have not only remodeled with salvage but repurposed, too. Here are a couple submissions from Second Use customers who got creative:

Jessie Styers took an old wooden window and turned it into a chalkboard to list chores for her kids. "We'll see how long the chores keep up..." she says.

Lisa Thomas and her husband stripped down and framed a cabinet door to make a tall medicine cabinet between the studs in a small bathroom.

One customer with a blog called Polka Dot Galoshes took on a popular salvage project, building a headboard out of a salvaged door. She said she bought the five-panel door for $15, molding for $3, and used tools and paint she already owned.

 
Posted 1/13/2012

Sometimes it feels like you have to make some sacrifices to have an energy-efficient home. Turning down the thermostat can mean you’re chillier than normal; reading under a compact fluorescent light bulb may mean your book is not as well lit as if it came from the overhead light; or taking a warm, quick shower isn’t quite as relaxing as taking a long, hot one. Well, what if there was a way to save energy and money without changing your lifestyle one bit? There is, and it’s easy. Simply eliminate phantom load from your house.

“Phantom load,” often called “standby power,” refers to the electricity sucked out by electronic devices, even when they’re turned off. Things like TVs, computers, DVD players, coffee makers and video game consoles all suck energy through their plug-ins, even when they’re not running. It’s estimated that households spend 5 to 10 percent of their electricity on phantom load alone. To put it in perspective, the Natural Resources Defense Council has found that 40 percent of American households have at least one video game console. The amount of time that those devices spend idling and functioning inefficiently costs $1 billion a year.

One of the most common offenders is the charger. People often leave their cell phone or laptop chargers plugged into the wall, even when there’s no phone or computer on the other end. That’s an easy way to throw money away on your electrical bills.

Thankfully, phantom load is an incredibly easy problem to fix, and unlike turning down the thermostat or taking a cooler shower, you won’t notice a thing. Generally speaking, devices susceptible to phantom load have an on/off switch or an internal clock. So, if you see one of those things on your electronic devices, simply unplug it. In your entertainment areas, where there are many plugs, simply put your TV, DVD player, stereo, internet router, etc. on a power strip. Instead of having to unplug each device, just flip the switch. The flick of a finger could save you 10 percent on your monthly electrical bill.

Posted 12/21/2011

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