Greenville, S.C. – 41 executive directors, board members, and other leaders attended the annual summit of The Southeast Creative Reuse Collective (SECRC), representing 20 organizations across 6 states. This year’s summit, hosted by Greenville’s ReCraft Creative Reuse Center, drew more creative reuse attendees and organizations than any conference ever previously held.
Across 3 days leaders networked, shared ideas, and inspected best practices at ReCraft’s Laurens Road location. During a session titled Resilience and Managing Risks, Katy Smith, Executive Director of Greater Good Greenville, gave a keynote address that channeled painting icon Bob Ross. Smith shared, “This whole creative reuse movement is based on ‘happy accidents.’ But the magic emerges from discipline. Discipline is the canvas that luck lands on.”
What is Creative Reuse? Sometimes referred to as upcycling, creative reuse is the practice of transforming secondhand materials into new products — often of higher quality or value than the original items — thereby reducing waste and promoting environmental stewardship. Around the country, about 160 creative reuse organizations act as community centers focused on environmental impact, artistic expression, and education.
In Greenville, for example, ReCraft has now kept 500,000+ pounds of wasted supplies out of the landfill — instead, using those materials to support 70,000+ engagements with youth and adults. Sales from ReCraft’s secondhand craft store are funneled into free school programming and other support for local teachers.
“A couple decades ago, creative reuse was a very ‘California’ idea. It’s crazy to me that today, there are more creative reuse centers in the Southeast than on the whole West Coast,” shared Cothran. “There’s something about this part of the country that embraces resourcefulness. Creative reuse is one more way that Southeast communities are pulling ourselves up.”