Eyewitness 7 ABC - January 11, 2006

Remodel your pad while
saving the environment

WABC Eyewitness News' Lauren Glassberg

(New York -WABC, January 11, 2006) - Looking for some new furniture but low on cash? There's a place in Queens that can help you out, and if you buy something there you'll also be helping out the environment.
Lauren Glassberg joins us with more.

It's 18,000 square feet filled with tons and tons of stuff you've thrown out, like that pink toilet you replaced with a white one, or those cabinets that you thought were too dated.

If Justin Green has his way, all of those home construction items that could be used again, will be used again. Instead of going to a landfill, they'll come to the Restore-Build It Green warehouse in Astoria. It was opened last March by the Community Environmental Center. It's modeled after similar stores in other cities.

But why would you buy a toilet here and not at a store? Because you can get it for $15, and that's a good deal. What's even better is that Build It Green is a not for profit, the money raised here goes to good causes like Habitat for Humanity.

Plus, by recycling you're doing the environment good. In fact, construction demolition creates 60 percent of New York City's waste.

Justin is selective about what gets sold here, and there are some real finds.

(Copyright 2006 WABC-TV)