News and Events

Every day, Second Use receives calls from people looking to donate their perfectly good paint for reuse, instead of drying it out and throwing it away. Unfortunately, we don't have the capacity to collect and process paint the same way we do with salvaged cabinets, doors and windows.

However, because it's something that customers obviously value, we're teaming up with the wonderful team at Novo Painting, and we're taking on a paint collection event! It is one day only. Visit Second Use from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 12, and you will have an outlet to repurpose your paint. Please read all the requirements below before bringing your paint to Second Use.

1. This is not a free drop-off. Customers must pay $1 to donate each quarter-gallon of paint, $2 to donate each single gallon of paint, and $5 to donate each five-gallon bucket of paint. Please understand that this fee will only go toward repurposing the paint. Second Use will not profit from money. For a longer explanation about this, click here.
2. The paint must be latex.
3. The paint must be usable, ie not dried out. Second Use reserves the right to turn away paint that is not in good condition.
4. Customers may drop off paint from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 12. There are no exceptions to this time slot. This is a one-time event, and we have no definite plans to repeat this event in the future.
5. If you haven't been to Second Use in the last six months, please note that we are in a new location.

After the paint collection, Second Use and Novo Painting will divide the paint among a few graffiti-removal groups and art programs. The remaining paint will go to MetroPaint in Portland, where paint reps will process the paint and package it for reuse. Rest assure that your paint will go to a good cause, and it will not go uselessly to the landfill.

Speaking of good causes, we are still looking for more community groups that may want to reuse the paint we collect. If you have a group that could use a lot of paint, let us know! The requirements are as follows:

1. You must be part of a community group. This can be a school, theater, church, nonprofit, graffiti-removal program, art coalition, etc. For now, the paint is not available to individuals who want to paint their homes.
2.  You must be able to take a substantial amount of paint—10 cans or more. We will give priority to the groups that need the largest amount of paint.
3. You must be willing to take the paint as is. We will check the paint for quality as it arrives during the paint collection, but we will not reopen every can of paint before your group picks it up. This would add a huge amount of labor to our efforts. 

For more information about receiving paint for your community group, or if you have questions about donating your paint on May 12, please contact Elena Velkov at 206-763-6929 x110 or elena@seconduse.com. Thanks in advance for your interest in keeping reusable materials from the landfill!

Posted 4/15/2013

In case you hadn't heard, Decon '13 is just two weeks away! The Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA), a network of professionals in the U.S. and Canada, have chosen Seattle for this biennial conference. Attendees can listen to speakers and panelists discuss salvage, deconstruction, reuse, business tactics, policy work, historic preservation and more.

The speakers are sure to impress. The keynote speakers include Carol Sanford, author and business professional, who will speak about achieving a responsible revolution in the salvage community, and Anthony Perez, senior concept design manager at Starbucks, who will speak about creating meaningful environments. If that's not enough, Second Use's own Dirk Wassink will speak about the different kinds of shoppers in the salvage industry, and Seth D'Ambrosia will talk about how to make salvage a serious trade.

For more information about the conference and to register, visit the event's site at deconexpo.org. You may also contact Dirk at Second Use at dirk@seconduse.com. Hope to see you there!

Posted 4/12/2013

Second Use will host March's Backyard Barter event. Backyard Barter is an organization committed to building a bartering community with DIY folks who produce homegrown and homemade food, related skills, and materials. Through monthly barters and the organization's website, people trade a huge selection of items-- eggs, honey, baked goods, handmade soap, plants, garden seeds, kimchi, beer, mead, jams and jellies, just to name a few!

Barterers of all ages are welcome. If you want to come down and join in the trading, just bring some homemade or homegrown stuff of your own. You can visit backyardbarter.org/monthly-barters to learn more. The event will be in Second Use's east room, adjacent to the main store, on Sunday, March 24. Participants can sign in and set up between 11 and 11:30 a.m., and the bartering starts at noon. The event should last for about another hour from there.

If you decide to join in the barter, please RSVP on Backyard Barter's March Facebook event page, so staff can make sure to accommodate everyone. For more information about attending, contact Joy Worthen at 206-249-7569 or joyw@joyworthen.com. You can also check out Backyard Barter on Facebook here.

Posted 3/11/2013
 

Second Use can't say enough good things about the women at Hammer Like a Girl, and we are thrilled to be part of their recent blog post about salvaged doors.

The concept of their efforts is simple but brilliant-- three women joining forces to improve their homes and skill sets. In the FAQs section of their site, they say this:

Why are you doing this?

-We want to get together – but we’re busy! We’ve got things to do! Painting, caulking, gardening, building, cleaning!  So, we thought, why not do those things as a group (brilliance!)

-Honestly, better ideas and better design come from working together, plus we nudge each other forward with those projects that are daunting and delayed.

-We get to make big messes at our friend’s houses!

-We get so much done. I mean, SO much done.

-We try things we would never dare on our own.

The women regularly get together to work on projects, ranging from art to millwork. The projects are both practical and social. Then, they blog about it, to encourage others to be bold and have fun.

If that's not enough reason to love these ladies, salvage is a large part of their work. They're regular customers at Second Use, but they also aren't afraid to just grab something off the side of the road.

You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll learn something. Check out Hammer Like a Girl.

Posted 2/8/2013