What is the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse?
The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to divert waste materials from landfills by collecting and redistributing discarded goods as low-or-no-cost supplies for art, education, and social services in our retail store, while educating school children and the general public about the environmental benefits of reusing materials.
Are you open to the public or just teachers and non-profits?
The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse store is open to the public. Everyone is welcome at the Depot! Educators can sign-up for our Green Educator Program to receive discounts and often free materials. Teachers and non-profits are encouraged to submit wish-lists so that we can pair our partners and excess materials to those in need.
When are you open?
The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse store is open for shopping seven days a week from 11am-6pm, excluding major holidays (Christmas, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day)
Where do you get your materials?
All of our materials are donated by local businesses, schools manufacturers and individuals who support our mission to keep reusable materials out of the landfill while educating people of the benefits of reusing materials.
We also collect materials from Central Contra Costa County Solid Waste Authority’s Reuse and Cleanup Days curbside pickup program in partnership with Mt. Diablo Recycling.
What do you sell?
The store contains 4,500 square feet of eclectic new and reused materials suitable for art, education, and household use, including paper goods, fabric, art & craft supplies, vintage furniture, home décor and much more.
What do you do with the materials that are donated and collected?
Most materials are sold at low cost in our retail store or used for our programs and events. In addition to the items donated at the loading dock of our store or through the Estate Reuse Program, many discarded items collected through Contra Costa County’s Reuse and Cleanup Days are donated to local, national, and international humanitarian causes. This has made it possible to expand our scope of reusing and distributing discarded materials to non-profits throughout our community as well as crisis areas in our country and also reaching as far as Afghanistan and Pakistan.
What do you do with the money that you make selling the materials?
The proceeds from sales in our retail store sustain the infrastructure of the organization, including providing green jobs for our two dozen employees. Income generated from sales allow us to be able to continue to collect and process donated materials for reuse by the general public and to provide art, educational, and non-profit programs.
Do you provide tax receipts for donations?
Yes, as a non-profit organization, all donations to the East Bay Depot are fully tax-deductible and a tax receipt will be provided upon donation.
Our Stats:
- The Depot Store serves approximately 65,000 customers per year in our store.
- We average 17 tons per month in waste diversion from materials accepted at our store’s donation dock.
- The Depot diverts over 200 tons of reusable materials from the landfills each year through our donation dock and our partnership with the RecycleSmart Reuse and Cleanup Days.
- Our Art in the Heart after-school program in the Richmond public schools has brought hands-on arts and environmental education to 180 elementary school children each year.
- Our Special Events community art education program reaches over 20,000 participants per year through community fairs, festivals, schools and libraries.
- The Depot collects materials for humanitarian aid relief and has distributed them locally, nationally and internationally, serving tens of thousands of recipients.
- The Depot works with over 45 local charities and nonprofits providing materials from donations and aiding them in their missions.
Our Green Educators program boasts a membership of over 4,000 teachers and general educators.