Austin Creative Reuse: One Step at a Time

Guest Blogger: Marissa Crenwelge, Student Volunteer from UTAt the beginning of this semester, I was aware of the nation’s obsession with going green, but I had no idea there were “reuse centers” dedicated to the cause. In Austin however, there is an organization dedicated to “upcycling,” or reusing someone’s old stuff and making it your own, and last year they were able to keep over 2,000 pounds of material out of landfills. As a student volunteer working on a video project for my Public Relations Techniques class at the University of Texas at Austin, I’ve spent the past semester working with Austin Creative Reuse, a nonprofit whose mission is to foster conservation and reuse by encouraging creativity, providing a convenient place to donate or purchase old materials and hosting events that promote sustainability in the Austin community.    Two months ago, I walked into Austin Creative Reuse not knowing what to expect. The center was closed, but there were volunteers dropping off and sorting items, trying to get things ready for the “soft” opening later that month. I could immediately tell they were excited to see such young blood walk in the door, and were curious as to why five college students turned up on a Friday morning. Since that morning in early September, both the Austin Creative Reuse storefront and my knowledge of what a reuse center is, have grown.Austin Creative Reuse is in a period of expansion, and I’ve witnessed it first hand. The first time we stopped by the nonprofit to meet with two of its board members, Rebecca and Carol, they were still moving shelves into the back for storage (and they were very excited when we offered to help them out). The most recent visit we made saw the store brimming with new and exciting details – and they had just hung their sign on the front of their building. As a result of all of these small steps, the final product of the video my team is making will have the advantage of showing the growth of the ACR center leading up to the grand opening in early 2016.  Austin Creative Reuse is striving to attract younger volunteers, and it’s a great organization to get involved with if you’re passionate about sustainability. It’s also a great resource for college students who are in need of creative tools and materials, or are just looking for an affordable way to make Pinterest worthy crafts.Watch the Video created by UT Student Volunteers