Houston Reuse Warehouse: Turning Overruns into EPD Wins
Left-over pallets of doors and mis-tint cabinets eat warehouse rent and stretch write-off meetings. In Houston, one municipal barn flips those stragglers into measurable environmental credit that can trim your next EPD’s footprint. Here is why a short detour down I-45 might save you carbon, cash, and headaches.
Overflow isn’t just clutter. It is scope 3 cost
The US churned out roughly 600 million tons of construction and demolition debris in 2018 and the trend has only inched upward (EPA, 2025). Every skipped diversion mile means extra trucking, tipping fees, and embodied impact that shows up in an LCA under modules A5 and C. Manufacturers often own a slice of that mess when job-site overruns or discontinued SKUs boomerang back.
What the Reuse Warehouse does differently
Houston’s Building Materials Reuse Warehouse accepts surplus building products at no charge and passes them on—also free—to 501(c)3 nonprofits (City of Houston, 2025). The program sits inside the city’s Solid Waste Management Department and targets the 38 percent of Houston’s waste stream tied to construction material (City of Houston, 2025). No resale markup, no landfill lines. Just a weigh-in ticket and a tax receipt.
The EPD angle: claimable reuse credits
EN 15804 allows manufacturers to account for benefits beyond the system boundary in Module D when their products are demonstrably reused. Handing pallets to a certified reuse facility provides exactly that documentation. Fewer virgin inputs in a second project equal lower net GWP for you, which specifiers increasingly rank ahead of price tags (GBA Survey, 2024).
Module D math in one minute
- Weigh the donation on the warehouse’s floor scale.
- Apply default or product-specific carbon factors for avoided production.
- Subtract transport to the facility (usually <25 mi in Houston metro).
- Report the net savings in kg CO₂e per functional unit in your LCA workbook.
Typical wood-door overruns see up to 1.4 kg CO₂e credit per square foot based on North American plywood averages (Athena, 2024). Inputs shrink, payback shows up instantly.
Logistics: easier than another run to the recycler
The warehouse operates Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pull up, unload, sign a single sheet. Staff even owns a forklift for bulky crates. It is first-come first-serve, so call ahead if you are pushing multi-truck volumes.
Qualifying items include lumber, windows, HVAC fixtures, and even energy-efficient appliances. No paint or hazardous goods, but most mainstream building SKUs slide right in.
Why specifiers notice
Texas architects chasing LEED v5 or municipal Buy Clean clauses scrutinize declared end-of-life plans. A line that reads “Manufacturer participates in verified reuse program; Module D credit −0.12 kg CO₂e per unit” jumps off the page. It signals operational maturity and shaves whole-building carbon models without exotic materials.
Mind the record-keeping
Its tempting to toss everything on the truck but sloppy manifests can backfire. Keep SKU-level mass data and make sure the donation receipt matches. Your LCA consultant will ask.
Scrap or score
Landfills turn over in hours. An EPD lasts five years. Diverting overruns through Houston’s Reuse Warehouse converts sunk inventory into quantifiable carbon savings that live on every spec sheet you print for half a decade. That beats paying to bury brand-new doors any day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does donating to the Houston Reuse Warehouse qualify for Module D credits in an EPD?
Yes. Because materials are documented as entering a second use, their avoided impacts can be credited in Module D under EN 15804. Keep the weight ticket and donation receipt as evidence.
What materials does the warehouse refuse?
Paint, solvents, moldy or damaged items, and any hazardous substances are not accepted. A quick phone call before arrival avoids surprises.
Will the warehouse pick up materials from my plant or distribution center?
No. Donations must be delivered to the facility at 9003 N. Main St. Transport impacts still count in your LCA, so use the most efficient routing possible.
How do I translate the donated weight into carbon savings?
Multiply the tonnage by a verified emission factor for that material (for example, 0.57 t CO₂e per ton of dimensional lumber). Then subtract transport emissions to the warehouse. The net becomes your Module D benefit.
About the Author
With a passion for sustainability and a love for complex data, Toby helps manufacturers efficiently collect data from across their organization and get their EPDs done right. He’s especially interested in how AI can support human expertise, helping R&D and factory teams work faster, smarter, and with less friction.
