This is a guest post from our friends at Stardust Building Supplies
 
Walk down the aisles of one of Stardust Building Supplies’ two home improvement reuse centers and you’ll find new, gently-used and salvaged building and remodeling materials including cabinetry, appliances, doors, windows, flooring, lighting, plumbing and more at discounted prices.
 
The concept behind the local building material reuse organization – one man’s “trash” is another man’s treasure.By collecting and salvaging building materials for reuse, the nonprofit organization helps to conserve landfill space, lessen the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere and create a market for reclaimed building materials. All the while helping to reduce the more than 530 million tons of construction and demolition waste generated each year in the United States.
&nsbp;

Salvaging Building Materials for Reuse
 
The first step in Stardust’s reuse model is deconstruction, an environmentally sound alternative to conventional demolition. Instead of demolishing old materials prior to a remodel, Stardust’s little to no-cost deconstruction service will salvage any usable building materials for reuse prior to the renovation, thereby preventing demolition waste.
 
“Our deconstruction service is a win-win-win for homeowners who are remodeling. The service saves them labor and trash disposal costs, deconstructed materials are tax deductible, and usable materials are given a second chance,” Stardust CEO, Karen Jayne said.
 
So how does deconstruction work? Stardust’s insured deconstruction team carefully dismantles everything from kitchen and bathroom cabinets to countertops, plumbing fixtures, lighting and electrical supplies, windows, doors, and shutters. In two hours, crews can dismantle a typical kitchen, leave your home clean swept, provide an itemized receipt of your materials, and truck it all away.
 
“We sold our family home and wanted to repurpose the house since it was slated for demolition. The home holds many memories—our mom loved to cook and had renovated the kitchen. We are so glad that Stardust was able to remove so many items, including the kitchen cabinets, appliances, heating unit, garage door, and interior/exterior doors,” said Robert, a deconstruction customer.
 
Benefits of Deconstruction:
 
 Helps offset costs associated with remodeling by receiving a tax deduction for the materials removed.
 Conserves landfill space. On average deconstructing one kitchen diverts 2,400 lbs. of usable material from the landfill.
 Reduces the environmental impact of producing new materials by making gently-used materials available for reuse.
 Deconstruction is a more affordable and environmentally sustainable alternative to demolition
 Reduce labor and trash disposal costs.
 Donated materials are available to the public at the Stardust Building Supplies reuse center and live on in homes and other projects.
 

“Recently we deconstructed a 3,500 square-foot home in Scottsdale,” says Chris Spencer, Material Acquisition Manager at Stardust Building Supplies. We salvaged a 25-piece custom cabinet set, granite countertops and island, a 10-piece cabinet laundry room, 10 bathroom vanities, and a spa tub. It’s amazing what we salvage, and to know that we’re saving these materials from the landfill is very rewarding.”
 
In addition to deconstruction, Stardust Building Supplies offers a free donation pick-up service Monday – Friday to collect excess or unwanted building materials, appliances, or furniture. Donations can also be dropped off at one of the Stardust Building Supplies reuse centers.
 
 
 
Stardust Building Supplies Reuse Centers for Home Improvement
 
Once building materials are collected, either through deconstruction or donation services, they are then resold at the two Valley Stardust Building Supplies reuse centers, typically at 50% to 80% off the regular retail price. With two locations in Mesa and Glendale, the warehouses provide a resource for people of all income levels to shop sustainably and affordably for the materials needed for a simple home repair, remodel, or repurpose project. In doing so, these items continue to provide a useful function rather than take up landfill space.
 
Designer and Stardust Building Supplies customer, James, has been a loyal customer for years, using reclaimed materials from the organization to flip houses. “I always love walking into one of the stores because you never know what treasures you’ll find. Most of the time I go in looking for something project-related (appliances, doors, cabinets, and more) but in addition to finding those things, I’ve also found things for myself. My outdoor patio set came from Stardust and it’s one my favorite finds.”
Recent stock at the Stardust Building Supplies Mesa location, the largest warehouse at 44,000 square feet, included a stainless steel Wolf built-in oven for $1,200, sold new for more than $2,800; stacks of hand-painted tiles from Tunisia that were picked up from a storage container in Florence; solid wood exterior doors for $75 each; and complete kitchen cabinet sets for under $2,000. With donations arriving daily, the inventory is constantly changing so you never know what you may find.
 
Tips for shopping at a reuse warehouse:
 
•Wear proper attire – We’re a warehouse so we suggest wearing closed-toe shoes
• Measure twice, buy once. We suggest brining in your measurements to save yourself time and money on something that may be too small or too big.
• Bring a professional! Consult with your contractor if you’re buying anything structural or an item that you may need help installing.
•Think outside the box – be open to repurposing
•Be flexible! You might not always find what you’re looking for the first time. But you might find something you love and can use, even if it’s not what you were looking for.
 

Proceeds from the reuse centers partially support Stardust’s Gifts In Kind program, which provides essential items such as bedding, toiletries, housewares, and building materials to more than 350 nonprofit organizations serving low-income individuals and families in Maricopa County.
 
Since its inception in 1997, Stardust Building Supplies has encouraged environmental sustainability by engaging the community in waste prevention and reuse. In a little over 20 year, Stardust has diverted more than 80 million pounds of reusable building materials from Phoenix landfills, provided over 1 million customers with quality reclaimed building materials, and distributed $21 million worth of household items to local nonprofits through their Gifts In Kind program.
 
For many, the Stardust Building Supplies reuse centers in Mesa and Glendale are a valuable resource for finding salvaged and gently-used building material for their home improvement projects. For others, it’s an environment-friendly way to discard their excess or unwanted building materials. Whether you shop at Stardust, donate to Stardust, or both, you’re helping to create a more sustainable Phoenix!
 
To learn more about the organization visit StardustBuilding.org