About Us

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Quick Facts
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About TLD
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Staff & Board
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Funders
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Financials
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Hours
See TLD Blog for updates

The Loading Dock, Inc.
2 North Kresson Street
Baltimore, MD 21224
410-558-DOCK (3625)
fax 410-558-1888

TLD Quick Facts

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The Loading Dock, Inc. (TLD) is the nation's first successful, self-sufficient, nonprofit building materials reuse center, packed with new and used items and architectural salvage. Motivated by the prevalence of poor housing conditions coupled with waste in the building industry, the founders of TLD established the nonprofit reuse clearinghouse in 1984. Donated materials, sorted and stored in TLD's 45,000-square-foot warehouse, are used in renovation and homeowner and rental property upkeep.

Our Mission is twofold. We increase the supply and use of affordable building materials for housing and community improvement by redirecting landfill-bound, reusable materials into productive use.

Our Donors are contractors, distributors, manufacturers, and individual homeowners. Donors save dumping and storage fees; increase storage space by clearing unwanted and surplus items; gain a tax deduction for their contributions; earn LEEDs credits; and have the satisfaction of both helping the environment by saving landfill space and aiding in the restoration of communities.

Our Members include housing organizations, community centers, neighborhood improvement groups, nonprofits, theatres, senior citizen groups, day care centers, modest-income individuals and families, landlords, contractors, artists and historic restoration buffs. Members pay a minimal handling fee for materials and are able to make repairs that, at retail cost, would simply be "not in the budget!"

Each year TLD redirects 700 truckloads of reusable building materials from local landfills and saves community members $2.6 million.  Over 17,000 truckloads of materials and $58 million saved since 1984!

Each Year:

• TLD saves 421 kitchen cabinet sets , 42 miles of lumber and 1,634 windows.
• TLD diverts 4,489 doors from the landfill, which if stood end to end, would be taller than 25 Empire State Buildings.
• The 83,000 carpet tiles saved from landfills would cover a football field.
• TLD could paint the exterior of the White
  House 85 times with the 26,000 gallons of
  paint redistributed.
• TLD TLD serves over 11,000 homeowners and community groups, who saved over $2 M.
• TLD assists in the rehabilitation of nearly 15,000 homes.

TLD partners with local landfills to collect reusable building materials.

TLD is the recipient of two prestigious national awards: the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development & the United Nations Habitat II "Building Communities of Opportunity" National Excellence Award.

In response to hundreds of requests nationwide for technical assistance in starting up similar programs, TLD produced a how-to manual, which includes methods, practices, and techniques established in managing a reuse program. TLD also holds educational tours for those interested in starting or expanding reuse facilities and offers consultation.

TLD clients and donors prove that you can build a house with what people throw away!