FAQs & RESOURCES

We believe that by shifting our mind set from viewing our outputs as waste to viewing them as resources, we will begin to “flip the pyramid”. By thoughtful consumption of our resources (conservation/reduction) and by careful planning of our products, manufacturing and distribution system, we can reuse more than we recycle or compost (rot), with recycling and composting as a final disposition, ideally eliminating the need for landfilling and incineration.

A: Reuse reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfills, conserves resources, saves money, and provides meaningful green jobs. Reusing items also helps make local communities and businesses more resilient, keeping the economy local and reducing the demand for new products from abroad. Reuse provides more jobs per ton than landfilling or recycling. Most importantly, reuse is a mindset, practice, and system of consumption that can lead us out of climate change.

A: Nearly any type of item can be reused, it requires ingenuity to re-envision just depends on such as clothing, furniture, electronics, appliances, and more. Reusing items is especially beneficial for items that are difficult to recycle, such as foam packaging and electronics. 

A: There are many reuse organizations and companies that promote reuse and help to connect people with items they need. You can find local reuse organizations and companies near you by searching online for “reuse near me” or “reuse organizations near me.” Q: What can I do to support reuse organizations and companies.

A: Reuse Alliance does not, but we consign goods at member sites in Marin and Sonoma County to help support our mission. We currently do not take material donations from the general public. If you’d like to support Reuse Alliance, please consider donating what you can afford. (Include donate link) If you have an item to donate, but don’t quite know where to take it, consult your local reuse directory or google. For more information, check out our resources at the bottom of this page.

A: Simply put - No. As stated above, Reuse involves the movement of items or materials from one place to another in its existing form, and then using it again.  Recycling requires a physical change (and sometimes chemical) in materials, turning them into a completely new item or form. Simple example - a beer bottle can either be reused or recycled. Reuse is a three step process - 1. it moves in a crate from the back of a bar 2. to a washing plant, then 3. back to the brewery for refilling. Recycling a beer bottle is a 6 step process 1. move from the recycling bin 2. to a transfer station 3. to a sorting plant 4. to a crushing plant or machine 5. To the smelter where it is reformed into a bottle 6. back to the brewery for refilling.

A: No - recycling is a worthwhile pursuit but our society and the environmental movement have allowed a narrative to continue that recycling is the answer to enable our single use and overconsumption based economy. We must rethink what recycling is good for and its place in our society. Recycling should come after all other uses for a material have been exhausted. Again -  recycling and composting should be at the end of life of durable goods and materials - the reincarnation of a material into another useful form. We must manage our materials more responsibly. Earth is finite and so are the materials upon this planet.