From Junk to Jewel: An LAEV Research Guide
This document was started by Esfandiar Abbassi, feel free to contribute.
Junk is what folks no longer need. But the same junk turns into jewel if we know where to find it when we need it. Other people’s junk can be used as the “raw material” for a small, local, and green manufacturing enterprise. Also, equipment, furniture, and tools necessary for the operation of a small business can be among other people’s junk.
Below is an annotated list of Websites that allow the visitor to do a search for the item he or she needs. Included are a couple of Websites that are not local but might inspire business ideas in recycling and reusing here in Los Angeles. The entries appear in no particular order.
In addition to these Web-based ways of finding the jewel you need, there is also “Federico’s Way”. According to Federico, “The city is like an ocean; it gives you everything and treats you nice, but only if you’re a smart fish.” Federico looks through the Yellow Pages for the manufacturers who are likely to have (in their trash bins) precisely the materials he needs for his small manufacturing business.
Special thanks go to Kreigh Hampel, a friend of the Los Angeles Eco-Village, who contributed most of the entries listed in this research guide.
Feel free to add your Junk-to-Jewel-resources to the list. Add your comments regarding each Website to the annotation that follows each entry. Happy reusing!
L.A. Free Cycle http://freecycle.org/
You can buy, sell, swap, meet, or just get things for free on this Website. The site has a strong search feature taking the pain and grief out of fishing for the jewel you need.
Recycler http://www.recycler.com/
Listed items are for sale and sometimes for swap. It has a strong search feature.
Craigslist http://losangeles.craigslist.org/
Far beyond a Junk-to-Jewel Website, Craigslist can help you find housing, jobs, services, and gigs. Searching is available for all the states, numerous cities, and many countries.
LA Shares http://www.lashares.org/
L.A. Shares is a non-profit program that in addition to taking tax-deductible donations accepts reusable goods and materials (both new and used) from local businesses. L.A. Shares redistributes these items free of charge to non-profits and schools throughout Los Angeles. Check it out and tell a friend!
Fallen Fruit http://www.fallenfruit.org/
Look here for edible jewels before they get crushed underfoot or rot in the tree. Look for maps of neighborhoods where there are fruit trees to be harvested. Learn how you can make a map for a new area. You will also find information on how to make jams and preserves.
Grassroots Recycling Network (GRRN) http://www.grrn.org/
GRRN is a national network of waste reduction activists and recycling professionals who use grassroots activism to initiate change, and professional expertise to follow through. Although the Website does not provide a search feature to readily find the jewel you need, it offers you the opportunity to join a listserv (Green Yes List) of recycling experts. Just ask a question and let the experts help you find the answer! Here is the direct link to Green Yes List; http://greenyes.grrn.org.
LACOMAX http://ladpw.org/epd/lacomax/index.cfm
LACOMAX is a free service designed to help residents, businesses, and organizations in Los Angeles County find markets for their industrial by-products, surplus materials, and other would-be discards. It has a search feature. Not all items are free. Contact information is provided to negotiate directly with sthe junk owner.
CALMAX http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/CalMAX/
CALMAX is a service designed to help businesses find markets for nonhazardous materials they have traditionally discarded. CalMAX? helps businesses, industries, and institutions save resources and money.
Ventura County Material Exchange http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/CalMAX/
Very user-friendly search feature. Many items free with pickup.
Garbage reincarnation http://www.garbage.org/
Check this out! Browse photos of junk art. It’s truly inspiring; some are real jewels. The Website has no search feature to help you find the junk you need though.
Urban Ore http://urbanore.citysearch.com/
“Our purpose is to end the age of waste by advocating and developing total recycling. We receive unwanted things and sell them as-is for reuse. We have 3 acres of well-organized used goods. We receive donations, buy some things, and sell everything as-is. Arrangements can be made to pick up selected loads.” Urban Ore is in Berkeley, California.