RAIR’S CIRCULAR PROGRAM
HOW IT STARTED
In spring of 2020, in response to the cancellation and postponement of programs,RAIR’s Creative Director Billy Dufala built elevated garden beds and started growing vegetables on the remediated superfund site next door to their facility. After sharing the small gesture with friends at Sankofa Community farm, Billy was introduced to Hajjah Glover , Sankofa’s Neighborhood & Home Garden Coordinator who was making similar elevated garden beds for senior gardeners accessibility.
Hajjah was in the process of starting her own business Glover Gardens, and the 2 met, walked and talked and began an informal exchange of reclaimed lumber for starters and gardening tips. Their conversation continued and so did the exchange, which led to a funded pilot partnership in 2023 with Sankofa and Glover Gardens where the focus was on dimensional Lumber, a high volume, low value material at the recycling facility that RAIR regularly diverted from the waste stream. The pilot quickly made clear that along with the lumber, RAIR had access to an abundance of materials that, when diverted from landfill, could be useful to Hajjah and Sankofa along with other urban farms and gardens. The following year, RAIR increased its partnership base, continued to work with Hajjah and Sankofa, and continued formalizing the materials redistribution initiative as its circular economy program.
WHAT WE DO
Through conversing with friends in urban farms and gardens, RAIR developed a list of valuable materials that these organizations typically need for general operations and building projects. Our yard liaison, Anthony Patrick who is a garden member himself, sifts through the construction and demolition waste dumped at Revolution Recovery with these materials in mind. in addtion to dimensional lumber materials like structural steel, garden tools, and PPE, are regularly pulled out of the waste stream to support our partner needs. Once extracted, Anthony cleans, processes, and prepares the material for redistribution or storage. Dimensional lumber, which is our most abundant and popular redistributed material, is cut down into industry-standard lengths, inventoried, and stored in our shipping container storage site. Partners that RAIR works with will fill out a request form with their material needs express their material needs, and within 1-2 weeks Anthony will fulfill their request using either our existing inventory or procure and process additional material. This process is documented in a comprehensive tracking sheet that enables us to quantify the economic value we divert directly from the waste stream into the hands of our partners. Using the same mission for the residency program, RAIR works directly with partners to fulfill customized needs.
OUR PARTNERS!
Listed are just a few of our partners, and we redistribute the materials we have to curb their project material costs!
SANKOFA COMMUNITY FARM
Sankofa has been a partner since the beginning of this work. Over the past two years, RAIR has redistributed various materials to support Sankofa’s evolving project needs. These resources have helped with both day-to-day garden maintenance and the construction of new structures throughout the growing seasons. Through this partnership, Sankofa has received a wide range of materials—including dimensional lumber, gardening tools, tarps, saws, pallet racking, and more—keeping valuable resources in use and directly supporting their community-driven work.
Glover Gardens
Glover Gardens has also been working with RAIR since the Circular Project’s inception, helping to expand their capacity to build raised garden beds for families in Southwest and North Philadelphia. Using reclaimed lumber and steel angel iron from RAIR, Glover Gardens constructs and maintains the beds that anchor seasonal planting efforts. To date, Glover Gardens has delivered over 60 raised beds built with RAIR-supplied lumber, directly strengthening community access to fresh, home-grown food.
IGLESIAS GARDEN
RAIR has been working alongside members of Iglesias Garden since early 2024 to support their large scale building projects many of which aim to create autonomous, community serving structures within their garden. With over $7000 worth of redistributed dimensional lumber, roofing panels, and bricks Iglesias has been able to construct a a fully functioning composting toilet, which allows the garden to host events and sustain longer communal gatherings.
RAIR also provides regular drops of dimensional lumber for on going maintenance and smaller construction needs. Most recently, a significant delivery of dimensional lumber, 55 gallon drums, and essential building tools to offset material costs for a new lean-to pergola designed to house solar panels while also created a shaded space. This structure will help expand the gardens solar capacity and serve as a valuable resource for their garden and larger community.
OPEN KITCHEN SCULPTURE GARDEN
OKSG has been receiving dimensional lumber as well as other materials for the last year of the program to help their ever growing community space. RAIR has been able to redistribute over $2000 worth of construction lumber to help rebuild their composting toilet as well as sheets of plexiglass to build windows and walls for their new greenhouse. Materials like metal sinks and tables have also been provided to OKSG to help outfit their two kitchens, which they use to cook food for community gatherings as well as renting them out for parties and events. These kitchens are paramount in their efforts to co-create community and revitalize the Norris Square neighborhood.
NORRIS SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT
RAIR has supported the ever-growing community at NSNP through a range of projects that strengthen their ability to serve their neighborhood. In addition to providing several tons of rubble to grade abandoned lots for beautification efforts, RAIR has redistributed a variety of building materials to help construct a water catchment system for one of their gardens. RAIR has supplied more than $600 worth of dimensional lumber and stainless steel countertops to build out NSNP’s outdoor community kitchen. This kitchen now anchors their Raíces program— an apprenticeship program which teaches youth about gardening, farming, food justice, and the cultural significance of urban green spaces.
“NSNP’s partnership with RAIR has been essential because it provides us with the materials we need to sustain our projects in practical and vital ways.... With RAIR’s help, we’ve gathered materials to build a long-term irrigation system... this is a critical step in making La Paz a thriving space that serves our community and neighborhood.
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Materials like these steel roll up doors from a demolished storage facility are found and pulled from the waste stream.They can be adapted to perform the same as corrugated roofing panels and used for roofing on garden structures, tools sheds etc. This process not only allows us to revitalize the value of the scrap through repurposing but prevents the dimensional material from being destroyed and extends its use value in a viable and resourceful application.
Once a material is collected, it is typically cleaned, organized, and packaged for pick-up or delivery to one of our partners!
CAPITOLO FARMS
RAIR has supported members of the Cipitolo Farm in Passyunk by proving dimentional lumber to replace deteriorating wood that demarcates a large number of their 54 garden beds.
