Find Recycled Items for Your Bathroom Remodel

So you want to remodel your bathroom, but you want to lessen your
impact on the environment? Impossible? Not at all. Look below for some
tips on where to find recycled materials for your bathroom renovation
project.� Craigslist and Freecycle: Craigslist is a good source for
plumbing supplies, fixtures, and other things people want to recycle.
You could also visit Freecycle, a website on which people list items
they no longer want. Check out flea markets and garage sales as well
for perfectly good items that you can put to re-use.� ReStore: Habitat
for Humanity runs a series of stores called ReStore which resell
appliances, building supplies, cabinets, and other used materials that
have been donated. The store will not accept old, broken, or worn out
merchandise, so you can find some high-quality supplies, including
custom windows and cabinets as well as toilets, sinks, and tile.
Stores will even discard discontinued, but brand-new, materials this
way. Other non-profits run similar stores in most cities. Before you
complete your green bathroom remodel, check online to find a store
near you.� Local Building Sites: Check out construction projects in
your area and ask the contractor for permission to go through their
leftover materials. It costs contractors money to haul these items
away, so they will probably be happy to have you take their extra
lumber or tiles off their hands. The best sites are ones where they
are remodeling or destroying an existing building, meaning that they
are discarding perfectly good vanities, or plumbing fixtures that
would otherwise end up in a landfill.� Online: There are companies
like Green Demolitions in the northeast that take recycled kitchens,
bathrooms, and other building materials and resell them. Look online
for reuse stores or consult the Building Materials Reuse Association
website for reuse locations in your area.� Retail Stores: Visit
building supply stores and stores that specialize in paint, flooring,
or tile. Most of these will have remnants, seconds, damaged
merchandise, and older materials that will eventually end up in the
trash. These items can include leftover pieces of lumber, discontinued
tile, or flooring that has been returned. Instead, you can find a
great use for them in your remodeled bathroom!