Reconsidered Goods' Trash Bash Awarded by the Carolina Recycling Association

Greensboro, N.C., May 7, 2024 – Reconsidered Goods (RG), the Triad’s only nonprofit creative reuse center, has been honored as a top performer in advancing waste reduction and recycling in the Carolinas. The Carolina Recycling Association (CRA) selected RG’s Trash Bash Art Exhibition and Competition as one of five outstanding programs in creative approaches to waste reduction and environmental sustainability. The award

was presented to RG Executive Director Catena Bergevin at CRA’s 2024 Annual Convention in Cherokee, NC.

Trash Bash had its inaugural launch last year in partnership with UNCG’s

Greensboro Project Space. The program involves creative teams competing

to build site-specific installation sculptures with various reused and recycled

materials provided by Reconsidered Goods. Teams meet for the first time

on opening night and work on their collaborative artwork under a time

constraint while spectators cheer them on. Each team is assigned a kit of

repurposed materials, a list of challenges, and the opportunity to select a

“mystery box” that they can decide to incorporate. A duo of “Maker

Mentors” help supply stabilizing hardware and construction assistance if

needed. A panel of judges selects the winning team to receive an original

Reconsidered Goods-designed reuse trophy. However, each team member

is awarded an RG consolation prize.

This year, Reconsidered Goods will bring Trash Bash to several venues, partnering with the Center for Visual Artists at the Greensboro Cultural Center on August 2nd, The City of Greensboro’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience & Revolution Mill on July 11, back to Greensboro Project Space in September, and Salem College on October 19.

“We hope to grow Trash Bash as a vehicle to promote environmental awareness and creative expression by partnering with other nonprofits, educational institutions, businesses, and municipalities,” says Executive Director Catena Bergevin. “The goal is to foster ingenuity, creativity, and invention, reconsidering how we think about art and waste.”

Reconsidered Goods Board Member Jennie Savage remarks, "We are in such a unique position to reimagine what art is and what its impact could be, both on the community and the environment. Trash Bash brings artists & sustainability experts into the same space to explore and take the experience into their practices and professional lives. Plus, it's a ton of fun and a great way to build community!"

Questions about Trash Bash or inquiries into bringing this program to your organization or business can be directed to Catena Bergevin, RG Executive Director, catena@reconsideredgoods.org

More information about Reconsidered Goods can be found at www.reconsideredgoods.org