SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

ANNOUNCES PARTICIPATION IN 2013 NATIONAL

REUSE CONTEST BUILDING COMPETITION

(June 24, 2013- Houston, TX) The City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department (SWD) Reuse Warehouse is coordinating Houston's participation in the 2013 National Reuse Contest, sponsored by The Reuse People (TRP). Projects built primarily of used building materials and completed within the last year are eligible for submission. TRP will award gift certificates of $1,000, $500 and $250 to the first, second and third place winners of the National Contest, redeemable at a local reuse store to be determined, and will display annotated photos of the winning entries at various green building shows and expositions throughout the year.

Houston entries, received by the August 31, 2013 deadline, will be judged by Mayor Annise Parker, businessman and philanthropist Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale and Dan Phillips of the Phoenix Commotion. The three winners, announced September 30, 2013, will automatically be entered in the national contest. TRP will select the national first, second and third place winners on October 30, 2013.

Individuals in the greater Houston area interested in competing are requested to email a photo of their project to Reuse Warehouse Manager Keith Koski at reuse.warehouse@houstontx.gov. For a complete list of rules and participating stores and to see photos of previous contest winners, visit www.TheReUsePeople.org/reusecontest.

ABOUT THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT REUSE WAREHOUSE:
The Building Materials Reuse Warehouse, www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/reuse.html, benefits the Houston community by providing space for excess building materials that would otherwise be dumped in local landfills. Material is accepted from individuals, supply companies and builders, and is made freely available for reuse by any non-profit organization. The Reuse Warehouse is funded in part by a grant from the Houston Galveston Area Council, a region-wide voluntary association of local governments in the 13-county Gulf Coast Planning region of Texas.

ABOUT THE REUSE PEOPLE OF AMERICA:
The Reuse People of America is part of one of the fastest-growing segments of the green building movement providing employment, volunteer opportunities and collaboration in deconstruction, building-materials salvage and sales. In addition, TRP offers deconstruction training programs and "best practices" consulting through The ReUse Institute. For more information, visit www.TheReUsePeople.org.

For questions and more information about the 2013 National Reuse Contest Building Competition, contact Keith Koski at keith.koski@houstontx.gov or 281.814.3324 or Sandra Jackson at Sandra.jackson2@houstontx.gov or 713.837.9164.