Re-Use Hawaii Recycles Home Demolition Waste for New Homes

You'd think that once a home is demolished, it's gone for good, right? Wrong. In Honolulu, a nonprofit organization called Re-Use Hawaii tears down old, abandoned homes and gives them new life -- by providing the leftover materials to residents to build new houses.

The organization collects building materials from home demolitions and construction (that would otherwise end up in a landfill) and stores it in a warehouse. Homeowners can "shop" at the warehouse for items to build their own homes or embark on DIY projects, KITV in Honolulu reported. According to Re-Use Hawaii, 80 percent of waste from home demolitions can be reused for other construction projects.

"It's cheaper for us and better for the environment," said Travis Edwards, the owner of a custom furniture business. Watch the video below to learn more bout Re-Use Hawaii, and see their inventory. Also, the Building Materials Reuse organization lists a nationwide directory of groups that recycle used and leftover construction material, and the U.S. Green Building Council supplies a list of the most common recyclable building materials.