At Bushwicks's Big Reuse eco-friendly thrift shop - old items get a second life
Inside the warehouse, racks of donated clothing sit alongside home goods, electronics, and well-worn bookshelves.
More Stories
From shimmering shoes to vintage board games and even old-school typewriters, Big Reuse is turning secondhand goods into something more than just thrift store finds - it’s part of a larger push to cut waste and build community.
Inside the warehouse, racks of donated clothing sit alongside home goods, electronics, and well-worn bookshelves, each item waiting for a new owner. Manager John Martin says the value of these objects often goes beyond their price tag.
“Sometimes it’s an object from 40 years ago that someone remembers growing up with, sometimes it’s just exactly what that person needs at that time. Everything can find another home - and our job is to do our best to make that happen,” he said.
That philosophy drives the organization’s broader mission: keeping usable goods out of landfills while helping reduce environmental impact. By recirculating everyday items, Big Reuse is working to address climate concerns at the local level - one donation at a time.
For customers like Tessa Richardson, the effort highlights a bigger issue with how people dispose of still-usable items.
“The waste management that we have to do to get rid of stuff that's perfectly usable is like kind of insane, so it's it's important to me to do what I can in my daily life to minimize that,” she said.
The scale of that impact is significant: more than 300,000 items donated last year were diverted from landfills. Organizers say they hope that number continues to grow as more people get involved, not just by donating or shopping, but by participating in community events.
Those efforts range from environmental programming to outreach events aimed at bringing in new volunteers and strengthening neighborhood ties.
“We host a number of events in the trans community here in Bushwick, a fair amount of environmental stuff. So we wanna get more people involved in the work we do. Excited and participating,” Martin said.
Volunteers play a central role in keeping the mission going, according to Andie Millares, who says there are multiple ways for people to take part.
“The three main ways to volunteer with the reuse are our reuse centers, our street tree care volunteer events, or at a community composting event - all three of those events really help with keeping both material waste and food waste out of our landfills and keeping our urban canopy thriving,” she said.
Whether it’s a jacket, a stereo, or a shelf full of books, each item given a second life represents a small but meaningful step toward reducing waste, and rethinking what gets thrown away.
