Expired design samples often get thrown into the landfill when they go out of style – but they have plenty of creative life left in them! At Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, we collect and weigh thousands of pounds of samples from local designers and architects, and add in an assortment of other surplus materials like trophy parts, binders, and media. Then, we open the warehouse door, and invite the public to take as much as they want for just $5 plus tax for as much as you can take.
Our unique and quirky retail shop will also be open during the event, and we hope that creative people who haven’t yet visited will take the opportunity to explore it.
Annually, Creative Reuse diverts 116,000 pounds of mixed materials. Hosting a program dedicated to specific business discards highlights how collectively we can divert, and are diverting, valuable resources from the landfill.
Since 2015, Reclaim events have accepted and distributed over 15,600 pounds of design sample discards. These discards have been transformed by the inspired hands of over 750 artists, educators, and DIYers all over the region.