SCRAP
“From a recovered pillow to a gallery installation, from a home-made costume to classroom educational materials, creative reuse includes all projects that incorporate materials that would otherwise be thrown away. Folks who find materials at SCRAP are teachers, artists, crafters, and designers who transform what could have been discarded into something with new value.” From SCRAP website http://www.scrap-sf.org/creative-reuse
SCRAP is a non-profit organization in San Francisco serving the Bay area. Their mission is to divert waste from landfills and and the solid waste stream for use as art supplies. They have been successfully channeling supplies to artists and art teachers for more than 30 years.
Their goals are to “increase creativity and environmental awareness through creative re-use of materials traditionally discarded as waste.” This is so impressive and provides a great example of how the realm of the ideal (ideas) impacts the realm of the material (processes of consumption) through action.