Urban Ore is a name that those interested in reuse have heard for years,  21 years to be exact!  Urban Ore, located in Berkeley, California, was built on the philosophy that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  Today, Urban Ore stocks more than two acres of used materials — materials that were once destine for the landfill, but now have a chance for a second life.

Strategically located next to the city dump, Urban Ore catches people before they hit the tipping floor.  As people drive their disposable items to the dump, many stop first at Urban Ore to unload any still usable items.  Some customers give away their materials for free, while others actually get paid to leave their “trash” with Urban Ore, who will add it to their shelves and showroom of merchandise.   Others specifically come to the facility after cleaning out their attics, closets or basements, and they have many items to get rid of.   About 85 percent of the items Urban Ore handles are actually dropped off by people.  Many of these same people stay, shop and even leave with an item or two.  For their customer’s convenience, Urban Ore keeps the same business hours as the dump.

Urban Ore acquires the remaining 15 percent of their inventory by actually scavenging the dump.  Through a partnership with the local dump, the company has access to materials coming into the tipping floor.  Two full-time Urban Ore employees sift and sort through piles of garbage to try to find any items that are still reusable.

Customers of Urban Ore shop the center for a variety of reasons.  Many customers look for items that are no longer available through conventional or traditional methods.  Odd sized doors or windows or other specialty items can often be found at the facility.  In addition, teachers shop Urban Ore for a variety of items from playground equipment, toys, books, paper, and paint.  A local decorator has utilized the unique items found at Urban Ore to decorate an entire office for under $100.  The same decorator furnished her entire apartment with found and reusable objects for under $400 — many of which came from Urban Ore.  Some customers shop Urban Ore for the bargains, while others shop to support the concept of reuse and environmental programs.  Each year it sells for reuse over 3,500 tons of "garbage" culled from the Berkeley waste stream, doing more than its part to control the landfill level.

Urban Ore is making a significant positive impact on waste reduction in the San Francisco bay area, but they have also found a way to operate a profitable business venture.  The company reports about $2 million in annual sales — all in used items.  The key, owners Dan Knapp and Mary Lou Vandeventer report, is fast turnover of merchandise.  The company turns over their entire inventory every three weeks. Items that cannot be resold are often recycled.

Another key to their success is an eye for value.  Urban Ore will take nearly anything, from furniture to building materials, electronics to housewares, toys, books, paper products, paint and a whole host of other items.  The organization will literally take anything that they believe still has some reuse value to someone.

Urban Ore is divided into three sections. The Building Materials Exchange is a vast outdoor area with a variety of reusable home building materials from doors to windows and from plumbing fixtures to tile.  They also have obscure items, such as old streetlight poles.  The General Store carries a plethora of old furniture, bicycles, and other home items.  They even do bicycle repair on the premises.  Finally, the Arts and Media Room stocks old records, books, computers, and art of kind.

Urban Ore’s owners also do conceptual designs of zero-waste disposal facilities.  They have done consulting work for a variety of clients across the country and abroad.  Recently, they worked with officials from Kauai, HI to design a new transfer station incorporating reuse in the design.

After years of being located in the same location, Urban Ore Building Materials Exchange moved to a new eco-park location, a 2.3 acres site in Berkeley.  The project also resulted in the City’s zoning ordinance recognizing reuse as a special kind of enterprise and several grants from the city and county, and the new site will host other resource recovery tenants.