We upcycle the wood from our incoming shipment crates to help make new shipping containers for our oversized orders. We also recycle metal, some of which is diverted to our Closeout Store.
Before we had the Closeout Store, if any measurement or material was incorrect, we had no choice but to discard the items. With these pieces heavily discounted and moved to the store, it means one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Although your shop might not want to go as far as to have a closeout store like ours, you can mimic a similar idea by holding on to the scrap metal or wood that can’t be used for your bigger projects. This is a great option to reduce waste, plus, if you need to experiment or make samples, you can take advantage of this material.
-Karen Guzman, Identification Plates
