There are a few local organizations working very hard to promote "solid waste diversion," which is a fancy way of saying, "Don't throw that away. Surely someone wants it." Imagine an Oakland manufacturer has 3000 green buttons, but it turns out green isn't selling this year. No matter how crafty the office manager is, she can't figure out what to do with 3000 extra buttons. Enter the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse. One call to the donations line, Mike drives over in the truck, and before you know it, those buttons are for sale in the shop on Telegraph Ave. and working their way into craft projects.
The Depot was created by and for teachers, as a teachers network and materials exchange. The result is an amazing place for educators, artists, and crafters. If you're in SF, SCRAP has a similar mission with an arts focus and a regular list of workshops and classes. Both places accept donations and have generous hours:
East Bay Depot for Create Reuse
4695 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
Open 11-6 everyday
SCRAP
801 Toland Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 647-1746
Open 9-5, Tuesday through Saturday
Images from the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse
I'm trying to live a little lighter on the earth, but the truth is, I like shiny new things as much as the next gal. One of my favorite guilt-free shopping treats is Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale. Fantastic bargains on recycled goods, and all the money goes to the Oakland Museum of California. The volunteers have lovingly organized all 96,000 sq. ft. of the warehouse into 17 different departments, from furniture to clothing to artwork. I have a doctor friend who stocks up each year on crutches (for her patients recovering from knee surgery) and other medical supplies for her clinic. In years past I've scored upholstery fabric for recovering our antique chair (monkeys with umbrellas, for pennies per yard), a retro wooden child's scooter, and some crazy plank of wood with about 32 faces drawn on it--It's cooler than it sounds. Now the hunt is on for a beater bike and some vintage Pyrex mixing bowls to replace our plastic ones, which are at the end of their life.
The preview sale is this Sunday, and the March sale is in a few weeks. Parking is tricky, but the Fruitvale BART station is just a few blocks away, and they run a shuttle on sale days. For more details and donation information, check the WES website.
Preview Sale: Sunday, January 25
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tickets are $12.50 in advance or $15 at the door.
March Sale: Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Admission is freeSee you there! I'll be the one with the Pyrex bowls and something strange and wonderful from the artwork section.
Upper image from The Shopping Sherpa's photostream on Flickr
Lower image from the Oakland Museum
There are a few local organizations working very hard to promote "solid waste diversion," which is a fancy way of saying, "Don't throw that away. Surely someone wants it." Imagine an Oakland manufacturer has 3000 green buttons, but it turns out green isn't selling this year. No matter how crafty the office manager is, she can't figure out what to do with 3000 extra buttons. Enter the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse. One call to the donations line, Mike drives over in the truck, and before you know it, those buttons are for sale in the shop on Telegraph Ave. and working their way into craft projects.
Images from the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse
