Successes reuseaz.org

A facility in Prescott, Arizona had two pallets of lime that it no longer needed. This was good, unopened material in 40 lb bags. Disposal cost of the material would have been about $1000. ReUseAz helped the facility locate a user needing the lime, which was valued at $575.

ReUseAZ recently helped a large Arizona business find a user for good, clean, metal paint-type one-gallon and one-quart cans. The business had two cubic yards of these cans, in new condition, but no longer needed them -- so they were destined for the landfill. Our ReUseAZ Program Administrator helped locate a non-profit organization that could make use of the containers, and the exchange was made. Result: approximately 200 lbs of good usable paint-type cans saved from the landfill.

ReUseAZ helped match up an Arizona non-profit teacher's organization needing materials with a local manufacturer that generates a large supply of end-cut canvas material. Previously the canvas material pieces, in perfect condition, but too small to be used for the original purpose, were scrapped to a land fill. The teacher's organization has begun putting some of this material to good use, for example, in creating colorful and protective aprons for both young students and teachers! Now even more creative uses are being discovered, such as bean bags, desk mats, mini parachutes, and wall decor. Over 5,200 pounds of this material has been used. Click on images to expand photo. The organization has also made good use of other previously wasted materials, including bubble wrap bags!

The ReUseAZ Direct Assistance Program recently worked with a facility to locate users for over 1,440 lbs of high-quality stick-on labels, with a value of over $6,508. The labels, originally intended as golf-club identification labels, were no longer needed by the original purchaser because of design changes. It was expected that the labels would be disposed of as waste material. Our Program Administrator located several users who needed the labels, including a company that repairs computers and will use the labels to identify electronic parts and computers, and a number of schools that will use the labels as stick-on name tags. Quantity of labels diverted from a landfill: over 300,000!

ReUseAZ assisted a Phoenix company in locating users for thousands of clean, small, bubble-wrap bags. These bags were used once to protect an incoming material, then (historically) disposed of as recycled plastic waste by the tens of thousands. The facility management felt sure there had to be businesses that needed and could use these bags, but did not have the resources to devote to locating an end-user for the material. With the help of the ReUseAZ Program Administrator, end-users were located and provided with over 146,000 bags, with a volume of 2,300 cubic feet and a weight of 1,465 pounds which are valued at of over $23,000. Because the users have an on-going need for the bubble wrap bags, many thousands of bags will be reused because of the efforts of this program.

AN INNOVATIVE USE

The bubble wrap bags are not only being reused for typical packaging purposes, one non-profit organizations, Treasures 4 Teachers, is putting these bags to good use in Arizona classrooms.

ReUseAZ has learned from the organization that, "Young children love and need to be involved in sensory activities while at play. The bubble wrap bags are being used by teachers and children in a variety of ways to enhance development, for example, as a glove. The bubble wrap glove is used for painting. It is reusable and can be washed off and used in the art area many times. When children are involved in helping to clean materials at the end of their activities, it teaches personal responsibility. The sensory feel of bubble wrap makes it fun to play with. Children can finger paint on the bubble wrap and make a second print by putting a piece of paper on the top. Children can put there hands in the gloves and paint directly on on easel by dipping it into paint or paint directly on the glove with a brush or roller. Some children are sensory defensive and the glove provides a barrier between the material and the child’s hand. The gloves can be used in the sensory table to hold sand, water, rice and many other things. Children love to pop the tiny bubbles. This can be done using their fingers or taking off their shoes and taping the bubble wrap to the floor and dancing to music. Children are ever the inventors and will find many uses for the wonderful material."

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