We’re the original founders of Buffalo ReUse, a not-for-profit organization we started organizing in 2006 and which began operations on the East Side in 2007.
For four years (2007 – 2010) the founding staff of Buffalo ReUse ran a vibrant, creative, and inclusive community-minded business, not without its challenges, but at all times true to its mission and respectful of the surrounding community, business partners, staff and greater Buffalo community.
We worked hard, constantly innovated our deconstruction techniques, and demonstrated some outside-the-box strategies for neighborhood regeneration. We ran a fair business – we priced our reclaimed products in a fair manner, we paid our staff a living wage, and left nearly every customer satisfied with their experience and their purchases.
We weren’t perfect, but we built an organization of intention, belief in the power of collective action, and uncompromising in our commitment to our community and to education and training.
The deterioration of board and staff relations resulted in the dismissal of co-founder Michael Gainer in 2010 and the rest of the founding staff leaving the organization later in 2010 and in Spring 2011. Buffalo ReUse almost immediately ceased its community functions. Retail operations ceased on December 1, 2022.
We founded ReUse Action in 2011 to continue this important work. We’re confident we’ve recreated a powerful economic engine to create jobs, preserve historical house parts, and offer hard-to-find and also affordable materials to homeowners, landlords, nonprofits, contractors, artists and other professionals throughout the city.
December 2022: we’ve taken over material sales for Buffalo ReUse, and also are handling donations to Buffalo ReUse. This is by mutual agreement between the board of Buffalo ReUse and ReUse Action.
We invite you to learn more and encourage you to support our efforts. You can call us at 716-894-3366, email us at info@reuseaction.com, or visit our store in Buffalo.
