10 Days of Giving Back: Big Reuse
Nov 25, 2024 brooklyn,charity,giving,giving tuesday,new york,red hook
As part of our celebration of the holidays — and as a thank you to the larger community that supports us all year long — Realty Collective is proud to feature the work of key non-profit organizations making the borough (and beyond) better every day. We’ve selected 10 non-profits to highlight and we encourage everyone to learn a bit about their respective missions and, if possible, to join us in making a small monetary donation to further their work. We thank them for everything they do and thank you for supporting a small, woman-owned Brooklyn business for nearly 20 years.
You may know Big Reuse from shopping their flagship store in Gowanus (and if you’ve never been, you’re in for a treat), but beyond being a great place to pick up thrifted clothes and knick-knacks, browse a massive selection of used books, or score a gently used appliance or two, its storefront is just one part of its work.
The organization’s stated mission is to “to fight climate change through community-based zero waste initiatives.” In other words, they want to keep as much out of landfills, foster a thriving re-use, zero-waste mindset among New Yorkers, build climate resilience, and beautify (and cool) the city through its street tree caretaking. But if you haven’t heard of Big Reuse because of its storefront, you may be familiar with their work with curbside composting.
Big Reuse has been operating community composting sites since 2017 and their food scrap drop-off sites can frequently be found across the city’s greenmarkets. One of the best ways to learn about their work, in fact, is to look at the impact page of their website. In 2023, the organization kept nearly 100,000 home goods and almost 30,000 books (plus much more) out of landfills, cared for 786 trees, and returned more than 660,000 pounds of compost back to community groups, gardens, and schools.
Its impact is undeniable, which is why we’re so proud to support their efforts. We also love that if offers so many ways to get involved – from tree care and composting to sorting items at its Gowanus storefront. And, hey, if you don’t have time to volunteer, you can always shop its online store to support its efforts (and score something incredible while doing good).