Introduction to

URBAN ORE

Daniel Knapp, Ph.D.

President, General Manager

June 23, 2010

We prevent landfilling

• We salvage at the City of Berkeley Solid Waste Transfer station.

• We receive discards people bring us, 360 days a year. (We buy some.)

• We pick up unwanted things after we screen the materials on the phone.

We Began at the Dump, 1979Berkeley’s 1976 Solid Waste Management Plan called for salvaging for reuse at the City’s dump. The first organization, a nonprofit, failed. Urban Ore formed with zero capital to fill the need. The City incubated the enterprise with free access and rent.

We Salvaged from “The Big Store”

We Let People Know How to Help

and they did

We Sold Scrap Metals

Organizing and

Upgrading Created Value

We Bought Our First Equipment

Selling for Reuse Conserved More Resources and Brought in More

Income than Recycling Scrap

Many Objects Needed More Care and a Better Market

In 1980 We Opened a Store In TownOur first location was on San Pablo Avenue

Again, Organizing and

Upgrading Created Value

In 1983 We Moved With the City When the Dump Closed

We salvaged at the new transfer station and occupied sales space onsite

In 1989 We Left the City’s Site and United the General Store with

Building Materials at 6th & Gilman

From 2000-2002 We Moved to the Ecopark at 7th & Ashby

We converted an old pipe manufacturing facility to mercantile.

We Still Salvage

Receiving - Building Materials

Receiving - General Store

Sometimes We Buy

Rewards

modify

behavior.

We Pick Up

We Sell

And Sell.

And Sell.

1/3 of interior from above

2 acres more outside

What we can’t sell, we recycle.

900 Murray St., Berkeley

Ashby Ave.

The EndThe End

900 Murray St.Berkeley, CA 94710phone 510-841-SAVE

Dr. Daniel Knapp, Ph.D.General Manager

dr.ore@urbanore.usCell 510-914-0074