iReuse is the industry leader in facilitating the
reuse of unwanted products and materials. From fortune 500 companies down to
small residential clients, iReuse leverages the tremendous benefits of reuse to
save customers time and money while helping the community and the environment.
- iReuse for Businesses: iReuse facilitates the most efficient,
cost effective, socially responsible, and environmentally friendly process for
the resale, reuse and removal of unwanted materials. Click Here to learn more about iReuse for Businesses.
- iReuse for Individuals: With iReuse Hauling, we make it easy
for residents to get rid of their unwanted items while saving time, money and
energy. Every time we reuse. You save. Click
Here to learn more about iReuse for Individuals.
- iReuse for Nonprofits: Do you need free office furniture or
supplies, computers, home furniture, toys, or anything else to support your
agency and your programs? Click Here to create your free Wish List and iReuse will automatically connect your needs
with donors in your area.
| iReuse Mission: |
iReuse was launched to accomplish five primary goals:
- Combine multiple acquisition & removal solutions into one place.
- Save customers time, money and energy by making reuse easy
- Develop a community-based resource to support the reuse of items locally.
- Make a valuable contribution to preserving our environment.
- Build a profitable company that is socially and environmentally responsible.
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| iReuse Values: |
| View the iReuse Values |
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| How iReuse got started: |
| It was a beautiful spring day in Marin County and I was having lunch at a local
Mexican restaurant and talking to the owner about the fact that she pays a
company $50 per week to haul away her used cooking oil. Since I happen to know
a lot a about biodiesel cars and the fact that they can run on used oil from
restaurants, I knew that there were many individuals and co-ops around the bay
area who would probably be more than happy to take her used oil for free or
possibly even pay for it to use as fuel for their vehicles. The only problem
was, there is no simple way for local residents and businesses to post their
used materials, like this oil, and have interested, trustworthy, and committed
individuals or businesses acquire these items quickly and easily. Not to
mention saving restaurants like this one over $2500 per year in dumping fees. |
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| Where does it all go? |
I decided to see what really happens with all of our stuff and spent a dark and
dreary few hours at the local dump to see what arrives for the final farewell.
After all, everyone recycles in Marin so I thought I'd probably be pleasantly
surprised to see what little gets thrown away. Well, I was amazed at how many
desks, chairs, tables, windows, car supplies, toys, children's gear, and other
great items, many of which barely had a scratch, were being tossed into a pile
which was either going straight to the landfill or in some cases being
blowtorched to pieces and then recycled.
Trucks, cars, junk removal companies, construction workers, all dumping
their reusable gold into the pile and paying a hefty dumping fee to do so.
Even the employees at the dump were dismayed at how many items could have been
reused, but their hands are tied due to state regulations. There had to be a
better way. |
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| Research & Development |
In talking to scores of people about this problem and conducting extensive
research on the topics of reuse, recycling, and waste management I learned
three primary reuse truths.
One. Everyone had stuff they wanted to get rid of but it was
too difficult, too expensive, and too time consuming to figure out an easy and
environmentally friendly solution to get the stuff reused. Inevitably the stuff
had remained piled in the garage until the owner had reached the breaking point
and with a heavy heart hired the 6'5" moving mammoth to toss the stuff in the
back of a truck from which perfectly good items would most likely meet an
unfortunate demise at the local landfill.
Two. Everyone had stuff they wanted or needed for their work
or their home that could easily be provided by a neighbor who no longer needed
or was trying to get rid of the same stuff. One small business was getting
started and looking for good deals, while another one up the street was
downsizing. One resident was moving out, while another was moving in. One
family had a three year old daughter outgrowing clothes at a break neck pace,
while another had a two year old daughter not far behind. All these reuse
opportunities went unrealized because they were unknown, too difficult to
accomplish, too time consuming, and/or not financially attractive. I was in the
same boat as everyone else. I was environmentally conscious and didn't want to
throw good stuff away; but the time and energy, let alone the cost associated
with posting things on an auction site and shipping them to who-knows-where,
were too much. And the thought of posting them on a community billboard,
getting a million emails, and having a stranger come to the house just to say
they were not interested was a little unsettling. Trying to figure out which
nonprofits would take what was a whole day excursion in the car that I didn't
have the time or the energy for.
Three. Reuse not only made sense for the environment but it also made sense
financially. Individuals and organizations trying to get rid of
stuff could not only save on expensive hauling and dumping fees, but they could
also make money by reselling items locally or donating to local charities for a
tax write-off. Reuse also allows people to find great items for their home or
business at very reasonable prices. The only problem was, at this point, all
the money savings and even potential profit from reuse was going straight to
the dump because it was too difficult and took too much time and money to find
new homes for reusable stuff
So I asked myself: How do I make reuse easy? |
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| The birth of iReuse |
iReuse was officially launched on September 21st 2005 in honor of my father,
Arie Kurtzig. Dad was an avid environmentalist who made many extraordinary
contributions to improve ecological awareness and promote innovative solutions
to environmental problems. He was a founding board member of Sustainable North
Bay and supported many early organic farming techniques before he passed away
on September 21st, 2001.
iReuse is the first comprehensive resource to allow individuals and
organizations to Find Stuff, Post Stuff, and Get Rid of Stuff locally. The iReuse system is designed to appeal
to every individual and organization because reuse saves time, energy, and
money while simultaneously helping the environment.
I look forward expanding iReuse and helping communities across the country
improve their reuse. After all, one more item reused means one less item in a
landfill and that is why I wake up every day excited to support community reuse
and help the environment. Thank you for wanting to learn more about iReuse and
how we got started. I hope you enjoy using the iReuse system as much as we
enjoy providing it for you.
Ken Kurtzig
President & Founder
iReuse LLC |
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| The iReuse Team |
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