Damon Carson's business, Repurposed Materials, gives discarded items from various industries a second life. Inspired by an airbrush artist's suggestion, Carson started by buying retired billboard vinyls and has since expanded to six industrial thrift stores across the US, offering everything from surplus inventory to idle machinery.
Owner Damon Carson poses for a portrait at Repurposed Materials in Lafayette, Colorado on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. Carson has a business that repurposes discarded materials from all sorts of industries. “ Repurposing ” is taking a byproduct or waste stream such as a retired street sweeper brush and giving it a 2nd life as a backscratcher for horses or cattle. For Damon Carson, the inspiration to start his six industrial thrift stores came from a conversation in 2010.
All six locations typically feature 20,000 to 25,000 square feet of warehouse dry space, along with yards that are approximately 2 acres, according to Carson. But what makes an item a good candidate for repurposing? Carson said they look for materials that are generic, versatile and adaptable.. Repurposing is the process of transforming an item like a decommissioned fire hose, for example, into a functional boat dock fender, giving it a second life.Recycling takes discarded materials and converts them into raw materials that can be used to create new products, which is a very energy-intensive process, according to Carson.
Her co-worker Sean Murphy, who is a marketing administrator with the company, also shared similar sentiments. “We definitely are seeing some exciting progress in the reduction of waste and the implementation of reuse systems, but we also have a lot more work to do,” said Eco-Cycle senior policy and research associate Rachel Setzke.
“When I found their website, it was like a candy store. It’s like, ‘Whoa, look at all these cool things,’ ” Ross said.
Repurposing Industrial Thrift Sustainability Waste Reduction Second Life
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