Help Launch the Reuse Innovation Center–NYC

A Public Call to Fund the Space, Staff, and Spark Behind NYC’s Circular Construction Movement

Why Now, Why NYC?

The City is signaling a bold push toward circular construction and we're not coming to add to that movement; we're coming to multiply it.

The Reuse Innovation Center–NYC (RIC) will be a circular business cooperative, part showroom, part fabrication lab, part incubator, that brings together New Yorkers working at every level of reuse, from deconstruction to design.

We have our eyes on a dynamic adaptive reuse building in Sunset Park. Now, we’re seeking startup funds to secure the space and hire the small but mighty team that will lead its transformation.

How the RIC Works

The RIC isn't just a reuse center. It’s a cooperative ecosystem, a new model piloted in Bellingham, WA by our founder Dave Bennink, who has spent 30+ years building one of North America’s largest reuse enterprises.

In this model:

• Members don’t compete with each other, they complete each other

• Circular businesses share tools, materials, staff, and storage

• Everyone answers the two biggest questions in reuse:

  1. Where do I take salvaged materials?

  2. Where do I find the reclaimed goods I need to build?

What Will the Center Do?

• Showcase over 50 remanufactured and recycled-content products, many made in NYC by local businesses we’ll train and support

• Provide affordable reclaimed building materials to the public and professional contractors

• Offer hands-on workshops and workforce training in deconstruction, reuse, and circular design

• Serve as a third space, where makers, fabricators, and climate-minded professionals connect and collaborate

 Our Mission

To catalyze NYC’s circular economy by:

• Connecting deconstruction resources to creative reuse demand

• Convening a network of designers, builders, and entrepreneurs

• Training a new green-collar workforce while advancing environmental justice

• Cultivating a hub for innovation, skill-sharing, and material reinvention

💸 How Your Funds Will Be Spent

We're already pursuing grants to support furnishings, storage, and materials. But grants don’t cover operations, so we’re calling on funders, partners, and the public to help fund:

• Securing the physical space

• Hiring two critical staff members:

  • A Center Director to lead the launch

  • A Programming Director to develop and deliver circular training for Brooklyn and beyond

• Startup infrastructure and essential equipment for shared use

📅 Timeline

• Fall 2025: Launch public programming during NYC Climate Week

• 2026: Full center launch

📢 Why It Matters Now

Right now, 18 buildings are slated for deconstruction in NYC, including the New Lots Library, representing over 100 million pounds of materials at risk of going to landfill.

We have the opportunity to intercept that waste and turn it into local products, jobs, and businesses at the RIC.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Who’s Behind the Reuse Innovation Center (RIC)?

The RIC is being built by an ever-expanding collective of designers, educators, landscape practitioners, and circular economy strategists who believe NYC must lead the transition to reuse through collaboration, not competition.

At the core is Dave Bennink, Founder, a national reuse pioneer with 30+ years of experience building deconstruction and material recovery networks across the U.S.

He’s joined by a NYC-based network that includes sustainability researchers, educators, circular economy business strategists, ecological and climate-resilient landscape architects, and community reuse advocates from initiatives like Reclaim NYC.

💥 What You’re Funding

You're not just supporting a center, you’re building:

• A circular business incubator

• A source of affordable, sustainable materials for all New Yorkers

• A catalyst for hundreds of local green-collar jobs

• A model that can scale across cities

🔗 Join Us

We’re launching a public campaign across LinkedIn, Instagram, and local media during NYC Climate Week to rally momentum and secure anchor funding.