Louisville’s first creative reuse center, Good Garbage, is celebrating its first year of operation in Portland, in the big pink building at 2020 Duncan Street.
Since last November, Good Garbage has stocked a growing supply of recyclable, leftover and otherwise unused materials, donated by individuals and businesses. Then owner Lynn Quire makes these materials available to artists, teachers and anyone who wants to be creative and help support the Good Garbage mission: to divert usable materials from landfills and protect our public waste stream.
Quire offers workshop space and crafting classes for kids and adults, hosts birthday and other parties, and provides space for creations made from reused materials by local folks, some of which is for sale in the boutique area. On top of all that, she teaches classes and workshops on reuse and art at community events and schools, making sure local teachers know about her resources. While most teachers are well-versed in asking for and collecting reusable materials for the classroom, Quire says, they do not always have the space to store every item they might need one day – Good Garbage helps with that conundrum by collecting and storing everything from egg cartons to CD cases.
Good Garbage has reason to celebrate: In its first year, it has diverted about 9,000 pounds of material from the landfill, provided free reuse art and outreach to 1,000 children, and provided free and drastically reduced materials to many other non-profits, teachers, artists and community groups. And since its inception, before the Portland location, it has diverted over 15,000 pounds of material and provided outreach to over 1,600.
If you’re dying to check out Good Garbage and see if you can find goodies and ideas for your Pinterest and holiday projects, now is the perfect time. For Small Business Saturday, November 29, Good Garbage is hosting an all-day celebration of small business and reuse. Along with cake and punch, giveaways and a DIY Photo Booth, Quire is hosting local artisans who will be selling their wares – many incorporating reused materials – on site. You’ll find jewelry, crocheted crafts, and other gift ideas. And, of course, you want to see the Good Garbage material extravaganza: think marbles, paints, fabric, containers and anything else you can give a practical or creative second life.
One more way to be involved: Lynn Quire has a Kiva Zip loan program in process. If a total of $2500 is offered there, she can use the loan to expand storage and retail space – enabling Good Garbage to accept more of the great donations being offered and also to display them so that they will get used. Check it out!
Photo: Shutterstock Copyright: Poznyakov
