Our mission is to:

  • Nurture self-discovery and self-actualization through creativity for learners of all ages.

  • Provide affordable materials for educators, artists, and community builders.

  • Preserve the environment by reusing excess inventory from the business community.

  • Aspire to create a space that is explicitly anti-racist, safe and accessible.

We envision a world that minimizes waste, nurtures creativity, and empowers communities to transform discarded materials into valuable resources. We carry forward the mission of RRIE, Recycling for RI Education, which served the Rhode Island community for 30 years.

The Creative Reuse Center collects extra materials and supplies from individuals and businesses, diverting them from the landfill. Educators, artists, kids and community members then use these affordable treasures to learn, teach, discover and create.

CRC Equity Commitments

We aim to create community spaces that are explicitly anti-racist, safe and accessible to all, including people of all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations and gender expressions, people of all income levels and vocations/professions, and people of diverse abilities. 

We are accomplishing this by: 

PROVIDING MEMBERSHIP TIERS, including:

  • a free membership for BIPOC people 

  • discounted memberships for organizations serving BIPOC youth

  • a tiered membership for students, seniors, households, community groups and organizations,

OFFERING AFFORDABLE CREATIVE MATERIALS and SPACES, such as:

  • affordable pricing schemes that meet the needs of the CRC and of our community

  • a venue with affordable rental options

WELCOMING ALL and providing:

  • spaces designed for families with young kids 

  • spaces that are accessible for wheelchair and mobile aid users,

  • a masking requirement to keep immunocompromised people safe

  • volunteer opportunities open to people of all abilities

  • gender-free bathrooms 

  • the use of people’s preferred names and pronouns

  • sensory friendly hours (dim lights, no music, fewer people)

FOSTERING COMMUNITY LEARNING, DIALOGUE, AND IMAGINATION through:

  • workshops, classes, community events, and artist residencies where people can express themselves free of judgment

  • outreach to diverse schools and communities to get engaged in programming and visits

SUPPORTING SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE by creating:s

  • a place to divert usable materials from our landfills for creative reuse

  • programming for youth about stewardship, advocacy, waste reduction, and the impacts of pollution on human and ecological health.

ENGAGING IN FEEDBACK/REFLECTION

  • We will solicit feedback from our community, staff, and advisors in order to ensure we are upholding our commitments. We plan to review these commitments quarterly to ensure we are living up to our goals.

SHARING DECISION-MAKING POWER

  • Our decision-making power is held by our diverse advisory board. This board consists of community members who create a welcoming environment where collective voice and power are shared through a consensus decision-making process. We are determined to build a board that is diverse and representative of our community. 

Start creating.