Build it Green saves ‘waste’

If the concept of building your home from waste conjures up images of Oscar the Grouch and his trashcan, then you have never been to Build it Green.
The re-use center, housed in Astoria, is a non-profit organization, which collects New Yorkers’ dumpster-bound building supplies and sells them at discounted prices to raise money for recycling programs.
Earlier this month Director Justin Green announced that the warehouse had saved 600 tons of building supplies from going to the landfill.
Green said they were able to determine the amount by computing the weight of item as they are sold, enabling them to estimate the total. Items that are still in the warehouse were not included in the calculation.
For businesses trying to keep expenses down, homeowners looking for a bargain, and theater groups hunting for just the right prop, the warehouse serves as a source for discounted building supplies, Green said.
Very little goes to waste at the center, and anything that cannot be sold is given away, and all the items that are sold are donated.
“We try to waste very little. We only throw things away if they are broken or damaged,” Green said.
Six months ago, the center began collecting used electronics as well. The organization does not sell the electronics but has them recycled. Green said they started the new service because the chemicals inside the electronics require that they be recycled in a specific way.
For more information, visit www.BIGNYC.org.
Build it Green is located at 3-17 26th Avenue and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.