All Posts Tagged With: "reuse"

It’s the title of a new book by Rhizome Collective members Stacy Pettigrew and Scott Kellogg. I was fortunate to hear Scott speak last night about this excellent city living users guide to a more holistic life. The talk began as I sat on a couch watching the sun go down though the brilliantly lit stain glass windows of the St. John’s church.

The book, as Scott describes highlights proactive uses for basic humans needs; how to pasteurize your own water because who needs all that added chorine from the water treatment plant. There are plants that can be easily grown in your small cement padded backyard, for example duckweed that has, as Scott mentions has, “more protein and nutrients then some meats.” After the talk Red Emma’s hosted a reception complete with yummy vegetarian bean and corn dishes!

Earth Alley , located off the Avenue in Hampden, offers a wide varity of home, garden and personal accessories. Fairly traded and often made with recycled materials, you’ll find bowls made from telephone wire, angels crafted from discarded tin roofing, and handbags fashioned from inner tubes. Earth Alley also offers rolling worksops in household composting, gardening and much more.

In the 1990s, Baltimore was "The City That Reads." This optimistic statement, found mostly on bus stops and benches, was replaced about ten years later by "The Greatest City In America." Big talk, yet Baltimore’s greatness lies arguably in its quirkiness, a truly fine example of what is The Book Thing of Baltimore . Its mission is "to put unwanted books into the hands of those who want them." How do they do it? The books are free! Donations from libraries, publishers, reviewers, authors, illustrators, and everyday people have given The Book Thing a collection of some 200,000 books on average. Aside from volunteers, who are always welcome to show up unannounced during store hours, The Book Thing is managed by Russell Wattenberg, a 29-year-old Brooklyn native and former bartender who used to hear schoolteachers complain that students didn’t have enough books. When Wattenberg started buying them books with tip money, people started to take notice and donated their own books. At some point it became apparent that the operation, which started in his basement, needed to expand. The store hands out about 10,000 books a week to a wide range of customers, from university professors to homeless people. The Book Thing accepts all books, regardless of age or subject matter. Wattenberg believes that if there’s a book, there’s someone who wants it. The Book Thing is open 9 am to 6 pm Saturdays and Sundays. Donations can be made any day of the week via two drop off bins that sit outside.

Normals is one of Baltimore’s oldest and well respected and collectively run used music and bookstores. You could spend hours locked between the stacks. It’s like an archaeological dig, you never know what you’ll find. Although, if you do need something specific they’ll know where to find it. Check out the Redroom, the adjoining music venue, for some of the best in experimental and improv music.

The Baltimore Free Store is a non-for-profit all volunteer organization founded on principles of social justice. It encourages recycling and reuse in hopes of decreasing poverty and fostering cooperation in achieving a community’s needs. They ask "take what you want, and give what you can" with the goal of empowering communities to organize and meet their needs independently. Beyond this wonderful community oriented concept of recycling and reuse, The Free Store is beginning an initiative to encourage residents to go greener. So take what you want and be sure to give what you can.

Green Floors is located in Fairfax, Va and has been specializing in recycled flooring since 1991. Many of the their carpet styles are made from recycled plastic bottles or old car tires. Other flooring options include cork, bamboo, linoleum, and natural fiber. In addition to providing extensive information on the production and life cycle of their products Green Floors is “dedicated to keeping as much carpet out of landfills.” Send then a sample of your old carpet, it’s possible they’ll be able to have it recycled.

Housewerks "specializes in unusual and carefully selected architectural antiques, industrial salvage, and one-of-a-kind finds. Serving designers, renovators, homeowners, architects, and the film industry." Located in South Baltimore in what used to be the Chesapeake Gas Company in 1885, it itself is a testament to the wonderful uses of old things given some added love. Their store room is immaculate and could be compared to a visit to a museum. Find other salvage centers in the surrounding area here .