When Buffalo ReUse was first conceived of, by founder Michael Gainer and a group of community activists addressing the issue of housing vacancy in Buffalo, we were most aware of the scope and complexity of the problem before us. Given the current state of our City, demolition was inevitable. Architectural giants created the community landscape for a City that once prospered; thousands of vacant houses now stand in place of what was at one point vibrant neighborhoods and bustling city streets. However, we quickly became excited about how green demolition (a recently developed term, now being used in place of deconstruction), could be used as a vehicle to strengthen our neighborhoods, train young people, and create communities that welcome people back to the inner-city. Not until we have livable communities, free from blight, crime, and fear, will we curb the cycle of decline Buffalo has experienced since the 1950's.

Fighting the blight is Buffalo ReUse's goal, and we focus mostly on Buffalo's East side. The current mayor's plan to demolish 10,000 houses in ten years will leave us with tons upon tons of rubble for our already-overflowing landfills, thousands of vacant lots to be overgrown with weeds, and the loss of beautiful buildings and valuable household items and material. Green demolition, however, can help prevent some of that.  

We've implemented a technique, created by David Bennink of ReUse Consulting, called hybrid-deconstruction. It incorporates a 10,000-pound all-terrain forklift, and it is more efficient, cost-effective, and economically practical than hand deconstruction. With our Green Demolition methods, we can effectively reclaim up to 50% of the tonnage of a house that would have otherwise been discarded. The material ends up at Buffalo ReUse's retail store called The ReSource, and the sales of revenue support our mission. Demolition projects are strictly fee-for-service. We do not offer "free demolition service" in exchange for the material, though we wish we could! However we can offer our clients a tax-deductible donation for the value of all the materials we save from a house.

In addition to whole building green demolition, we also collaborate with other demolition contractors to salvage buildings that will soon be demolished by traditional means. Most demolition contractors have been excited to collaborate with us, because ultimately anything that we divert from the landfill translates into lower disposal rates for them. It would be great if this was a larger incentive, but unfortunately disposal rates are so low in Western New York that a ton of diversion only "saves" most demolition contractors $25 at the landfill. Compare this to Seattle and New Jersey where disposal rates are over $100/ton. The low cost of disposal is probably one of the largest obstacles we have to encouraging more people to choose our services. We also obtain materials through donations from homeowners and contractors.

As mentioned before, our sales at The ReSource, along with grants, fund our mission, which extends beyond green demolition. We are taking a holistic approach to combat multiple problems that distress our neighborhood. This approach includes free workshops every month on home repair and gardening, with topics ranging from how to make rain barrels to fixing leaks to garden companions. We have transformed vacant lots into community gardens and pocket parks, including strawberry fields, a children's vinery, and vegetable and herb gardens. Neighbors participate in the gardens, which encourage community, provide them with a source of fresh food, and enhance the value of the neighborhood.

We have developed a tool-lending library to encourage the growth of families' own gardens and the development and improvement of individual's homes. We participate in tree-planting programs to further beautify our neighborhood, and we are currently developing a public space as part of our new BAR (Buffalo Action Revitalization) Program, complete with a book-lending library, meeting rooms, and a computer for our neighbors to access. Other components of the BAR Program include murals and public arts, installing bike racks, putting garbage cans and flower planters on street corners, and doing "board ups" to secure vacant properties against vandalism, arson, looting and squatting.

As part of our mission aimed at regenerating neighborhoods and empowering communities, the ReSource functions as our largest point of contact with the public. We serve predominantly an East Side customer base, but attract people from all over WNY and nearby Ontario. We sell high-quality building materials at very low prices--including many items which are rare or one-of-a-kind. Our prices and materials help people at all income levels stabilize and improve their homes. We also spend a great deal of time engaging in lively conversations with everyone who calls on the phone or comes into the store. We’re constantly connecting customers and local residents with Buffalo ReUse community programs, each other, government services, and any other resources they need.

Buffalo ReUse is rapidly expanding, and we are trying to encourage as many people to get involved in as many ways as possible! Our neighborhood has already begun changing because neighbors see we're investing in it and they're making their own personal investments. We are all very excited about what we're doing, and we hope to truly turn Buffalo around.