What’s Green About This Workplace?

Buffalo Exchange is a sustainable company that works to protect the environment by reusing and recycling clothing. The E.P.A. estimates 12.4 million tons of textiles were generated in 2008, or 5.0% of total U.S. municipal solid waste. Nearly half of the 2.5 billion pounds of postconsumer textile waste prevented from entering the solid waste stream is recycled as secondhand clothing, according to the Council for Textile Recycling. So trading used clothing has a positive environmental impact.

Through our Tokens for Bags® program, Buffalo Exchange has generated nearly $358,000 for hundreds of local nonprofit agencies since 1994, saving 7.2 million bags. Shoppers are encouraged to accept a token instead of a bag for purchases, and Buffalo Exchange donates five cents to a charity of the customer’s choice.

Buffalo Exchange raised over $36,000 to Save Wildlife From Trash at our Earth Day Dollar Sale in April 2010. All proceeds benefited the Don’t Trash Wildlife campaign of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and three HSUS wildlife centers that rescue and rehabilitate wild animals. Buffalo Exchange has raised over $310,000 for environmental causes through Dollar Day Sales on Earth Day since 1997.

With the help of our customers, Buffalo Exchange collected 1,371 used furs for our Coats for Cubs winter 2009-10 drive – by far the most furs we’ve EVER collected since we began these drives in 2006. Coats for Cubs is a program of The HSUS that provides bedding and comfort to orphaned and injured wildlife. Since 2006, Buffalo Exchange has collected a total of 5,256 used furs on behalf of Coats for Cubs.