What Re-use Hawai'i does

Re-use Hawai'i is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit employment social enterprise founded in 2006 and headquartered in Honolulu, Hawai'i. The organization operates an integrated circular-economy platform comprising five mutually reinforcing programs: (1) licensed deconstruction services (license C-28351) that dismantle structures by hand to salvage building materials, (2) a retail store and lumberyard selling reclaimed furniture, lumber, hardware, and specialty items, (3) a Tree Milling Program that converts locally felled trees into usable greenwood slabs, (4) a Workforce Development Program providing second-chance and transitional employment, and (5) the HNL Tool Library, a community tool-sharing membership program. Together these programs divert construction and demolition waste — which the organization states represents 40% of Hawai'i's landfill waste — while creating employment pathways for individuals facing barriers such as justice involvement, substance abuse recovery, or housing instability.

The organization serves a hybrid customer base. Enterprise customers include contractors, developers, and hospitality owners (e.g., Kennedy Wilson's Kona Village Resort project diverted 1,024,000 lbs in 2018; an Ala Moana Hotel liquidation recovered 102 tons). Long-tail demand comes from homeowners, DIY enthusiasts, and community members purchasing affordable reclaimed materials at the retail store, with the organization reporting 109,881 shoppers served to date across 898 deconstruction projects and 8,205 tons of waste diverted. No proprietary technology is disclosed; the platform operates on operational labor, physical retail infrastructure, and a third-party tool-reservation system (MyTurn.com) for the Tool Library.

Revenue is generated through five streams: retail sales of reclaimed materials (transactional), fee-for-service deconstruction (quote-based), recurring memberships (Tool Library at $20/month or $150/year, individual memberships starting at $5/month), tiered corporate sponsorships (Kamani $3K+, ʻĀchia $5K+, Milo $10K+, Koa $25K+ annually), and tax-deductible donations. The go-to-market motion combines community-led retail and membership engagement with project-based enterprise sales for deconstruction, supported by a 9+ member leadership team and a multi-channel digital presence (24k social followers, 25k+ newsletter subscribers). The workforce includes 62% individuals receiving second-chance employment, framing the organization's labor model as both an operational asset and a social-impact deliverable.

Name

Re-use Hawai'i

Legal name

Re-use Hawai'i

Website

https://reusehawaii.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Re-use Hawai'i is a Honolulu-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an integrated circular-economy platform that combines licensed deconstruction services, a reclaimed-materials retail store, tree milling, a community tool library, and a workforce development program serving individuals facing employment barriers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Deconstruction & Material Reuse Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600)

akta.pro primary industry

Deconstruction & Salvage (Building Materials Reuse) (BPALAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reuse & Resale / Recommerce Operations (EUAIANAC), Donation, Consignment & Resale Coordination (HSAFAFAG)

Keywords

• Building deconstruction services
• Reclaimed building materials
• Tool library lending
• Tree milling services
• Workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales of Reclaimed Materials: Sale of reclaimed building materials, furniture, lumber, hardware, and specialty items through the physical retail store and lumberyard.
2. Deconstruction Services: Fee-for-service deconstruction of residential and commercial buildings, providing sustainable alternative to demolition for contractors and property owners.
3. Tool Library Membership: Subscription-based tool lending program offering monthly and annual memberships for community access to tools.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Tiered corporate sponsorship program (Kamani $3K+, 'Ōhi'a $5K+, Milo $10K+, Koa $25K+) offering marketing benefits and partnership recognition.
5. Individual Memberships: Monthly recurring donations starting at $5, providing exclusive benefits including early store access, member pricing, and Tool Library membership.
6. Monetary Donations: Tax-deductible cash donations supporting workforce development, operations, and program expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Re-use Hawai'i is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit employment social enterprise that delivers four interconnected programs supporting a circular economy: licensed (C-28351) building deconstruction services that carefully dismantle structures by hand to salvage reusable materials; a retail store and lumberyard selling reclaimed building materials, furniture, and hardware; an HNL Tool Library offering community members membership-based access to tools for DIY projects; and a workforce development program providing second-chance and transitional employment with training and certifications. A Tree Milling Program converts donated felled trees into greenwood slabs for sale.

Product overview

Re-use Hawai'i is a non-profit employment social enterprise operating as a platform of five interconnected programs that work together to support a circular economy in Hawai'i. The core offerings include: (1) Deconstruction Services — licensed C-28351 hand-demolition that salvages building materials from remodels and full building removals; (2) Tree Milling Program — converts donated felled trees into greenwood slabs for sale; (3) Workforce Development Program — provides second-chance and transitional employment with training and certifications; (4) HNL Tool Library — community tool-sharing membership program; and (5) the Re-use Hawai'i Store — retail outlet selling all reclaimed materials. These programs are designed to be mutually reinforcing: deconstruction and tree milling recover materials, the store resells them, workforce development provides the labor and creates job pathways, and the tool library serves the broader community while reducing consumption.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HNL Tool Library: Community tool library program providing tool borrowing access to members for gardening, home improvement, and DIY projects.

Products and services

• Deconstruction Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 740,000 lbs of materials diverted from landfills annually
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HighgateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Re-use Hawai'i's mission through the sponsorship program.
• Sunglass FixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting sustainable business practices and community impact.
• SERVCO / SERVCO FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Hawai'i's communities through charitable giving program.
• Spire HawaiiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting sustainable initiatives in Hawai'i.
• Albert C. KobayashiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction company sponsor supporting workforce development and reuse programs.
• Kennedy WilsoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor and client for Kona Village Resort deconstruction project, the largest project completed (1,024,000 lbs diverted).
• Howard Hughes (HHC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Hawai'i community development.
• RLB (Richardson, Law & Business?)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor listed on sponsorship page.
• G70minorGTM or Marketing PartnerArchitecture/design firm sponsor supporting sustainable design and reuse.
• Bacon UniversalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Hawai'i businesses and sustainability.
• HTMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting community programs.
• Lung Rose Voss WagnildminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting reuse and sustainability initiatives.
• Hawaiian DredgingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction company sponsor supporting workforce training.
• MatsonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Hawai'i logistics and community.
• A&BminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting community and sustainability programs.
• HabilitatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with substance abuse recovery program for workforce development. 4 Habilitat individuals worked alongside Re-use Hawai'i crew on Ala Moana Hotel liquidation project.
• RedFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as source for Employment Social Enterprise (ESE) framework and social return on investment methodology.

Scale indicators11 records

Direct peers

• Second Chance Inc. Baltimore-based nonprofit providing deconstruction services, a reuse retail operation, and workforce training for previously incarcerated individuals. Highly comparable on all three dimensions: deconstruction services, reuse retail, and second-chance employment pipeline.
• Construction Junction: Pittsburgh-based nonprofit reuse center focused on salvaging and reselling architectural salvage, building materials, and home goods. Similar mission-driven retail model with emphasis on deconstruction-sourced inventory.
• The Loading Dock: Maryland-based nonprofit that provides low-cost used building materials to the community, salvaged primarily from deconstruction projects. Closely mirrors Re-use Hawai'i's combined model of deconstruction + retail reuse + workforce development for people facing barriers.
• Big Reuse: Brooklyn-based nonprofit operating a deconstruction program and a building materials reuse retail outlet. Directly comparable on deconstruction + reuse retail combination in an urban market.
• Urban Ore: Berkeley, California-based reuse enterprise operating a large retail store and salvage yard focused on recovered building materials and furnishings. Long-running pioneer in architectural salvage and reuse retail, comparable in scope and mission orientation.
• Community Forklift: Nonprofit reuse center in Hyattsville, Maryland, that recovers materials from deconstruction, remodels, and donations for resale. Operates a similar nonprofit thrift-for-building-materials retail model with a mission-driven workforce.

Others

• Build Reuse: National industry association for the building materials reuse and deconstruction sector. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler — supports similar organizations including Re-use Hawai'i through networking, advocacy, and standards rather than direct services.

Broad incumbents

• Rebuilding Together: National nonprofit that rehabilitates homes for low-income owners. Tangentially related through residential repair and reuse activity, but operates as a direct-service home repair organization rather than a materials recovery platform.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStores: National network of 1,000+ nonprofit home goods and building materials reuse stores operated by local Habitat affiliates. Significantly larger scale and brand recognition; overlaps on retail resale of donated materials but does not perform licensed deconstruction services at Re-use Hawai'i's level.

Emerging players

• PlanetReuse: Commercial architectural salvage marketplace and consulting firm that connects deconstruction projects with buyers. Comparable on the deconstruction/material salvage value chain but operates a for-profit technology-enabled marketplace rather than a brick-and-mortar retail model.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/reusehawaii
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@reusehawaii
• Facebookfacebook.com/reusehawaii
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reusehawaii
• Instagraminstagram.com/reusehawaii

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Re-use Hawai'i