Who we are
UC Berkeley ReUSE aims to promote the concept and ethic of reuse and to divert reusable materials from landfills. We collect reusable materials from individuals and departments and redistribute them back to the campus community through our Reader Giveaway, Clothing Sale, ReUSE Stations and Residence Hall Move-out Collection.
One of the original mini-ReUSE stations
HOW
ReUSE collects reusable materials from individuals and departments and redistributes them back to the campus community. This service aims to encourage the campus community to reconsider their traditional notions of waste and incorporate reuse into their daily lives.
ReUSE makes donated reusable items available on campus through the ReUSE store in the basement of the MLK Student Union and through the ReUSE Station in Barrows Hall.
PROCEEDS
All proceeds from the store go to charities and maintenance of the store. Charities are selected by club members at the end of each semester, with a preference towards charities that promote sustainability and related causes.
WHY
Reuse saves money and resources on labor, freight, and reprocessing and is thus environmentally preferable to recycling. Since UC Berkeley is seeking to reduce its waste stream into landfills, it must employ the diversion technique of reuse, which has been highly underutilized on this campus in the past.
THE GOAL
ReUSE seeks to divert 20-30 tons of material annually, as this amount was identified as reusable in campus waste audits.
WHO
ReUSE serves the UC Berkeley campus community including students, staff, and faculty and is a subset of the Campus Recycling and Refuse Services (now Cal Zero Waste).
Original Mission Statement prepared by Rhoda Chang, Howard Chong, Alexis Petru, and Garth Schultz. Updates by Amy Mendelsohn.