 And welcome back to another episode of Hawaii Food and Farmers Series. I am Pomai Weigert, and I'm going to be your hostess with the mostess today. I'm excited because we have Carolyn from Reuse Hawaii with us on the show. And today we're going to talk bigger picture, we're going to talk waste, we're going to talk collaboration. So everyone welcome, Carolyn. Hi Carolyn. Hello. Thank you for having me. Thank you for being here today. So I know that we are a Food and Farmers Series, but when we had met and I had gone down to your warehouse, which I'm excited for you to tell everybody about, we were sort of talking about bigger picture, bigger picture thinking and how all industries are connected. So could you just give us a little bit of an overview of, you know, who you are, what you do, what's your organization, what's happening? Sure thing. So we are Reuse Hawaii and we have been around about 10 years. And what we do, we're a nonprofit and our mission is to actually divert construction and demolition waste from going to our landfill. And how we do that is through a process called deconstruction. So we are hired by homeowners or building owners, anyone who has a structure that they want taken down, but they don't want it to come down via demolition where they just crash it down. So it's a greener way of saving material that's actually still in good reusable condition. We have employees who go out and hand disassemble structures and we bring all this material back to our warehouse and we price it and we put it out for sale to the community at a discount. So how long has this, how long have you guys been happening? We were founded in 06, so we're definitely, we're in it. And who are the founders of this big dream that happened? There were two founders, Quinn Vittum and Selena Tarantino. They were both co-executive directors. Now Quinn is the primary executive director of the organization. So that happened in 06 when they were just like, we need this in Hawaii. So there was nothing like it. So the waste is definitely something that is real, especially with a lot of the construction and demolition industry right now, all the construction happening. And expansion and I could see how we would have a need to sort of look at alternatives. I feel like everyone's sort of looking at what is perhaps a different method that we could use to do stuff. And where are you folks located? We are in Kakaako right outside of downtown on the Makai end of Kyave Street. And that's right next to the School of Medicine. So we have a big warehouse that we rent and a lumber yard as well. Let's talk about the warehouse. Let's talk about the warehouse because it was kind of a big takeaway for me. I got to visit this week, this week, I got to visit this week. And it was super cool. It's kind of like the Goodwill Home Depot. So if you like Goodwill and you like Home Depot, this is your dream come true. I wasn't expecting that. And so I feel, I also put it on my own social networks to be like, who has been here? Because if you, it's a great place for imagination, but then also it's like the used stuff, but some of it is brand new, which I thought was like, you know, I really got an education also with that because I think people are thinking like, oh, it's just scraps of stuff. And it's not. It's not only scraps of stuff. I mean, there's contractors who had extras, there's people who had like these beautiful vintage homes. There's this vintage finds section. I was kind of pretty thrilled about that, mirrors, hot tubs, ovens, and I felt really inspired to, or I really feel like, definitely for my generation, we're looking at new, new things. And I think it's a great place to be, and I think it's a great place to be, you know, to be, you know, you can also be sort of upcycled, you know, so who is shopping there? Can you tell me who's kind of, who comes to, to reuse, Holly? A lot of people shop. So we have everybody from contractors to designers, artists, farmers, because our prices are you know, if they have a DIY project, schools come, you know, like I said, contractors, you know, just, just a lot of people who just want a creative outlet. And you're a nonprofit? We're a 501C3. Yeah, 501C3. So that means if, if people help or are able to contribute things, then they can get, what can they get? So the community can make donations of their good reusable building materials and they can, they can receive a donation receipt from us. Is that kind of? Yeah, yeah, that's what I meant. Yeah, that's what I was like, can we tell everybody that? So it is like the goodwill. It's like, or you know, like when you go and you drop stuff off and they give you the thing that says, you helped, but then also like you could go there, I mean, you said that you have regulars too, like people who just like goodwill regulars and Home Depot regulars. Absolutely. So it was just like this match made. Yeah, definitely. We do have regulars. There's a fellow out in Waimanalo, he has a bonsai school actually, and he comes to reuse white all the time. And I mean, the regulars are great. They always appreciate what that we're there, which makes us feel good, of course. And then people who donate from the community are also glad we're there. So yeah. What about, can you tell me about some of the, like what are your goals or what motivates you guys to do what it is that you're doing? Yeah, I mean, the environmental mission that we have is really important. Our goals are to expand to the neighbor islands actually. We've started to, we have a job happening in Kona right now. So that's kind of our foray into, you know, our neighbor island expansion. We just need more awareness. You know, our goals really are just to make sustainability something that's integrated into people's lives, no matter what they do, you know, it's a way of life. And were you always in this kind of industry or how did you get into this? How did you find yourself here today on this show talking about, talking about how to save the world and environment? Can you give us a little? How much time do you have? Well, my background, my degrees in journalism, my background in advertising and communications. And in that world, whenever I had a pro bono account, I always enjoyed it. I always wanted to do something cause related. And my husband works at reuse Hawaii and there was a point at which I was looking just to volunteer. And so I got into reuse just by volunteering and then joined about four years ago and just loved what they did and really got to know what it was because when you work in an organization like that, you really feel your contribution, you know, and the interaction that I would have with customers was so, it was so gratifying, you know, to see that we were doing something that people actually needed and wanted and it also helps the community. So yeah, really important. So you love it? Yeah. A little. I love to ask loaded questions like that. So do you love what you do, but you must if you're still there and it sounds like you're really passionate about the work that you folks are doing. What about the need and demand for what you folks do? I know that that was a big part of why the founders started everything. They saw a need and demand, but I feel like the general consumer doesn't always put all of those things together. You know, even in farming, you know, people, you know, everyone in farming has known for a long time that we import so much of our food and then it's like really getting that message out to the consumer. So it's, what are some buzz statistics or words that you folks use to educate people on why what you're doing is vital? Interesting. Thanks for bringing that up. You know, the industry, demolition and construction is 35% of everything in our local landfills. So it's pretty considerable. Wow. So the need is there, you know, and about 450 demolition jobs took place, I think, last year. We did about 40 of those whole house kind of deconstruction jobs that we do. So you can see that there's a lot more. Oh yeah, you'll never run out of work. So a lot of the demolition jobs actually do qualify to be deconstruction jobs. So, you know, there's opportunity there. So the need is there. Absolutely. Yeah, and the demand is growing actually on both in our deconstruction services side, you know, we're getting more and more business, which is fantastic. Also just people, when they become aware, you know, they want to know what they can do to contribute to sustainability and environmental sustainability. And this is a really real way that people can contribute by shopping at the warehouse or hiring us for deconstruction. You know, this keeps it going. Is the price point comparable for deconstruction? Like if, how does that all happen? So yeah, it is actually. It depends. It's case by case. Okay, yeah. So we would say their house deconstructed versus demolished, they would contact us. We would do a free walk-through and then do a proposal. Money-wise it's very similar. We take longer because we're hand disassembling structures. So usually if there's a timeline that we can't work within, we might not get that business. But it works out financially for people, you know, we are hired, it's paid for our deconstruction services, but the value of the materials that we bring back and log and save, the value of those becomes their tax deduction. So it's a nice offset. Oh yes. Yes. That was, I remember. All these sort of things that you were telling me that are cool or like, I mean, I don't want to say innovative because like they were always possible, but you know, just like these win-win kind of scenarios, I feel like that is what is necessary in business and in new business. I actually also wanted to mention that while I was there, you showed me sort of this area where there are properties that have old trees left over. Oh right. Yeah, so I like, I'm just, this is what I'm telling like my friends when I, I I was like, oh my gosh, if you guys want to reuse and you teamed up with a tree cutter. Yes. Yes. So what is his name? Eric. Eric. His name is Eric Saavedra. He has his own company called Rough Cut Hawaii. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So teamed up with him to cut the trees from this property and they're already cut into that, those cool table tops that all the cool people want. So I, when I saw that, I feel like that was a big takeaway for me because I, when I'm, you know, you go to all these cool places and you're like, wow, there's a cool table. But like being able to partner, I really liked that partnering component. Yeah. It's been a really great partnership. It kind of happened about a year ago. Our executive director was driving downtown near the Capitol and they were taking a big shade tree down and he said, hey, where are you going with that? And that began, you know, our, our kind of, you know, program, yeah, connection to the tree milling program that we do. So tree cuttings are kind of vetted. Then they come back. So we've had Monkey Pod, Mango, that sort of thing, a high value hardwood tree. We made the connection with Eric. He has this great mobile sawmill. I kind of can nerd out about this tool because it's mobile. And he takes a big tree and he slabs it into, you know, two inch thick live edge slabs. You know, true to our mission, we want to be able to distribute this material and make it affordable. So we work with him to make sure that the prices are right. And man, it has taken off. I mean, people want these. It's not everywhere. You can go and just buy a live edge slab for a table top. So it's really, really nice to be able to offer this type of material to the community, you know, at an affordable price. So. Yes. Oh, that's awesome. Okay. We're going to come back in just a sec to talk about more cool things. We'll see you in a few. If you're not in control of how you see yourself, then who is live above the influence. Hello, I'm Dave Stevens, host of the Cyber Underground. This is where we discuss everything that relates to computers that's just kind of scare you out of your mind. So come join us every week here on thinktecawaii.com, one PM on Friday afternoons. And then you can go see all our episodes on YouTube. Just look up the Cyber Underground on YouTube. All our shows will show up. And please follow us. We're always giving you current, relevant information to protect you. Keeping you safe. Aloha. I'm Richard Concepcion, the host of Hispanic Hawaii. You can watch my show every other Tuesday at 2 p.m. We will bring you entertainment, educational, and also we tell you what is happening right here within our community. Thinktec Hawaii. Aloha. Hi guys, I'm back. That was a quick break that we took. I'm Pomai Weigert. You are here at Hawaii Food and Farmer Series. And I'm here with Carolyn from Reuse Hawaii. And we are just talking about what Reuse Hawaii does and how they help the community get things that other people didn't need. So it's sort of like this movement. But what did you call it? When I came to visit you, I keep calling it the Goodwill Home Depot. But it's industrial materials. Is that what you said? Yeah, it's building materials. Building materials. That have been salvaged by our deconstruction services. And also, so if you come into the warehouse, most of what's in there is from our deconstruction jobs. But the rest is from just community donations. So if the public can shop there seven days a week and find doors, windows, lumber, you know. Inspiration. Old vintage things. Light fixtures. Mirrors. Yeah. Toilets. I mean, no, it was, it really is, I mean, and I didn't really know that. So sort of through these circles, I feel like people have been telling me, go see Reuse Hawaii, go see Reuse Hawaii, it's like, OK, OK, I'm going to go. They're super cool. Yes, but I didn't really know what that meant. I knew you folks reused stuff, but it's so much more bigger picture. Are there any organizations that you currently collaborate with specifically? I know that you have corporate sponsorships and people who support you because you are a nonprofit, but when you're looking at the future of keeping your organization sustainable, what does that look like? What do you see? I think I just see more awareness in the community in general. You know, the demand for things affects obviously the providers of those things. And we are seeing a lot more companies, you know, businesses calling us. We've done commercial jobs, we're doing a resort right now in Kona. We did. And that means you're going to go there and deconstruct it. Correct. Wow. And we just, you know, a couple of years ago, we deconstructed all of the Winnie units, which are the Punahou Elementary School classrooms, which were built between 1950 and 1955, designed by Vladimir Asipov, who's a local mid-century modern. Wow. Genius. Yes. Architect. And so, you know, we've been able, fortunately, to get a lot of, you know, kind of historic, like, you know, kind of... And does it usually, like, are you headhunting them? I mean, I suspect that they're coming to find you. You know, it's how many people work with you guys, you know, because it's... I feel like that's often a misconception that people think there's just an unlimited amount of staffing, you know, where... In a lot of the organizations that we're a part of, you know, it's... Usually, it's not a really big staff, but you have a huge warehouse, you have demo, you have, like, warehouse communications, innovation, all this kind of stuff. How many people work for you and how did they start working for you? Like, how did that all happen? Good question. So, our entire staff, I believe, is at about 35 people, including our deconstruction services. So, nine of those folks manage the warehouse...you know, look after the warehouse, you have a warehouse manager. So, we're a full organization in that we have, you know, irons and all the fires. So, you know, we do collaborate a lot with other, say, contractors in the industry. So, we're a deconstruction operation, but we work within the construction industry. We're a licensed contractor. But we're the only deconstruction services contractor in the state. Oh, that's right. Not demolition, deconstruction. That's okay. That's okay. Yes, yes, yes. That's good education, you know, to just sort of...it is about sort of these little shifts, you know, because it's cool sound similar, but it is different. It's actually...I think of it as kind of like the opposite of demolition, because demolition is just crash it down and we actually carefully disassemble homes and we can save up to 80 percent of a structure. Oh, gosh. And so, it's pretty cool. Like, if you come to the warehouse and you look around, it's like, man, all this would be in the landfill had it not been for an intervention like we do. We come in and, you know, we save it. And how much of a time difference is it, like, to do deconstruction versus demolition? Good question. I think the stat is on a 2,000 square foot home, you know, demolition can happen in a matter of hours or a day. We take about, I want to say, about eight days, five to eight days, depending on the complexity and the structure itself, but on average, you know. Okay. So, not drastically, yeah, because I was thinking, like, oh, please don't tell me months. You know, like, no, no, no. Okay. I feel like that sounds about right, you know, because you're carefully taking all the pieces apart. You're not just, like, old-dozing it over. Right, exactly. So, you know, the largest job we're doing today is in Kona, and that's taking months because it's 81 acres. Yeah. So, we're in there, you know, so it really depends on the scale. But we also do, like, remodel related deconstruction. So, if someone just has a kitchen they want to replace, we go in and we carefully remove the cabinets and, you know, take out the appliances and save those if they're working and so forth. I see. So, it doesn't have to be so big. Yeah. It can also be small. Yeah, totally. So, one of the reasons why I did want to bring you here on the show, our show is called Food and Farmers series, and I know that what you do may not directly seem like it is directly connected, but everything is connected. So, you know, really putting that messaging out too is we're all relative, we're all relative to each other, especially food. So, when we were talking about how can reuse Hawaii support the food and farming and agribusiness community with the services that you provide, and then us being an outlet to share with that network, that I go be friends with them over here. So, can you talk to me a little bit about what you see there? Sure, definitely. And then we were talking a little bit before the show started about the parallels between reuse Hawaii and farming and, you know, land stewardship is the obvious one and also just, you know, sustainability in general, right? So, we definitely can be a resource and like I mentioned before, farmers are definitely those who can shop for more affordable materials for what you need. For greenhouses, for wash stations, for, again, it's like, think of it like a Home Depot. And everybody pretty much goes there if they're going to build anything. So it's like a place to at least be looking at materials that you need that you could find there. So, I feel like that's an obvious one. I mean, it's like, I don't know if people... It's just, I feel like that is a clear one. Like, we're building stuff, go here and look at if you guys have stuff. Right. But what else do you see? I mean, I definitely think that, you know, just us being a community hub is where we want to go. We want to be able to host events. We want to be kind of this place where people can, you know, share information. And for example, we are the location of the Honolulu tool library. That's a partnership that we have with them and just in that, you know, people who don't have the money or a tool library. So that's just one example of an ongoing collaboration that we have that helps the community, you know, when they don't... They just check out tools as if it were a book, but it's tools. So they check out a tool, they keep it for a certain number of days, and then they return it because, let's just be honest, tools are expensive. Yes. Yeah. This, where does this exist? Where? They're, the tool library is located within Rews, Hawaii now. Wow. They recently got their own 501c3, but we are a partnership. We share the space that you sign up with them, pay an annual, very small subscription to be a member of the tool library. And you know, so that's just one example of a collaboration. Yeah, that was a good example. Well, just because again, if we're not reaching out, because we had also talked about that, you know, that things in Hawaii, they can be very siloed and very clicky, and no one really, they like stay in the industry that they're in. But there's so much to be had if you're able to bridge build and like, does everybody know about the tool library? Like, that's, I mean, that is located within the Rews Hawaii warehouse, you know, and that if we don't talk about those things, then how is anybody going to know that that is an option? Right. Especially if you use tools. Yeah. Which is, I'm not a really big tool. I might just go look at the library for a little bit and see what is possible. But knowing that it is a possibility is super neat. So they also conduct workshops in our workshop. Right now they're on Sundays, but you can go to their hnltoolibrary.org and check them out. But you know, I mean, we're, now I've been in this role for a few months. So I'm trying now to do more community outreach and see what the possibilities are. Because I feel like as a community, we're so creative, you know. And we need to be. I feel like, again, when we're looking at sustainability, that is going to require innovation, which is also going to require collaboration. Definitely. So, I mean, being able to build these kinds of partnerships. When you look at the future of Hawaii, what do you see? What do you hope for? Really hope for, you know, just more awareness. You know, when, and I can just talk about waste as one example, you know, something really in our control. Think about when you buy something, like a lot of customers who come into the warehouse, they say, oh, I needed this thing. I thought I would just try you guys first. That's a great first step, right? Just check it out. Just be aware of what your options are and think about, you know, how, because honestly, a lot of older material is actually in better condition, if you believe, you know. Just things were made a little differently, especially in lumber, of course. So, you know, don't be afraid to explore. You know, I just, I think people who are thinking outside of the box and being aware and thinking creatively, that's the first step. And I really do feel, you know, a movement happening here, you know. So, especially with the keiki, so we give tours to schools and things, and these kids are so smart. Yeah. So, they're very aware. And we're already kind of building them to look at those kinds of things in their life. So, we just have a few seconds left. Can you tell us, again, how people can find you and if there's any last things that you want them to know about what you folks do and where you're going with all this? Let us know. Tell us what's happening. Okay. So, we are located in Kaka'aka. We're open seven days a week. You can just Google Reuse Hawaii. We're up there in the index, so easy for us to find. Yeah. So, we're open seven days from nine to five, so something for everybody. You know, just I encourage people to come down and check it out and just open your mind. So do I. So do I. I want to bring my family. I want to bring my dad. I want to, you know, anyone who is creative, I feel like even if just to check out the place, it's sort of just a place to jar your creativity. You can also find them on Instagram and on the social networks. They're there and on your website as well. Is that nifty video on there? Like, you showed me a video of, you know, where the founders talk and, you know, when I went into the office, it was like, he queued up the video. It's not, but it will be. Okay. Yeah. Okay. And you can go to their website and make contact directly if you need to. And I feel like that was sort of where I was going with that is just to get more information about them and all the good work that they're doing and how you can team up and collaborate. Carolyn, thank you so much for being on the show today. Super neat. I'm really grateful for the time you've taken. Thank you for having me. Really appreciate it. Bye, guys.