I went to the annual Po-boy Preservation Festival** last weekend here in New Orleans. Amid the gluttony (I had five) and the crowds, I stumbled upon a table staffed with volunteers. They were with the Green Project,** and they were extolling the virtues of energy-efficient light bulbs. I nabbed a brochure, and kept eating.

The Green Project is a nonprofit resource of recycled building materials, hardware, paint, art supplies and unique architecture. They operate a retail store that acts as a salvage center providing quality used materials at affordable prices. Here are some examples of the types of things they sell:

• Lumber & plywood
• Doors & windows
• Bricks & tiles
• Roofing materials
• Fencing & burglar bars
• Cabinets
• Lighting fixtures
• Sinks, tubs & toilets
• Hardware
• Paint
• Garden supplies

As much as we hate to admit it, New Orleans is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. We have yet to resume normal recycling services, so organizations like the Green Project are an excellent alternative. They currently accept aluminum and metal cans, mixed paper and newspaper, cardboard and electronic-waste such as outdated computers, printers or VCRs.

I think the most important lesson the Green Project has taught me is the importance of Deconstruction over Demolition. Deconstruction involves the careful dismantling of buildings to provide materials for use in rebuilding New Orleans. They skim, a process that reclaims the most reusable materials possible before a house gets demolished. This process diverts material that would otherwise end up in a landfill. It saves energy, conserves raw materials and preserves historical architecture.

Recycle For The Arts

Beyond building materials, the Project has created a couple of spin-offs. Recycle for the Arts is a trash-to-art store that supplies low-cost art supplies to artists, schools, art programs, galleries and other nonprofits at minimal cost. Its mission is to promote creative recycling and reuse in the community, support the arts and educate the public through events and workshops based on creating art from reused materials. You can learn more at Recycle4TheArts.org.**

The Green Room

The Green Room is an interactive community space that promotes using garbage as an artistic medium. The space is used to display the work of local artists and for workshops and community events.

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