Meet Meg Barber of Metro

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meg Barber.

Hi Meg, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In the Spring of 2024, four women sat down to discuss the waste problem in our country and decided they needed to join in. The founders had been exposed to the creative reuse model of taking leftover supplies that might otherwise end up in the landfill and making them available for reuse through resale. They loved that the CRC model prioritized repurposing supplies for artists and makers and created a market for hard-to-sell items that regular thrift stores may not take.

Magpie Creative Reuse Collective, their new 501 (c) (3) non-profit creative reuse center, was launched in May 2024. Magpie aspires to put the “creative” in “creative reuse” by providing inspiration, education, and resources that help people transform old materials for new purposes. Everything they do is centered on using collective effort to keep things useful longer.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Magpie has been very lucky that the road has been generally smooth with very few speed bumps… but I also believe that was something we prepared for. When assembling our Executive Board and Advisory Council, we were very choiceful with who we wanted to fill those positions. Each member provides a unique set of experiences and skills to help make Magpie successful. This includes anything from small business owners to accounting to grant writing to product design. Ultimately, all members are passionate about environmental sustainability and supporting innovative approaches to the environmental problem of material waste.

We are still working to establish a permanent location. Even before we open our doors, we have established a place to donate and buy reuse arts, crafts, and office supplies; we offer a full community education program centered on skills and inspiration for reuse; and we work to provide shared resources specifically for artists, makers, and entrepreneurs. Our current obstacle is funding. It is important to us that we provide low-cost and equitable opportunities for our community. But it is difficult to fundraise for a start-up and run a self-sustaining business model, especially in the current economic climate. Ultimately, our goal is to receive some grant funding and have a final fundraising push so that we can start leasing a space by the end of 2025.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Like all Magpies, we are collectors. Our mission is collecting and reselling leftover and remnant material, using collective work to keep items useful longer. Along with making reuse materials more accessible, we make the work of reuse easier by teaching the skills and processes needed to reuse, upcycle, downcycle, recycle, and repair. Magpie Collective embraces the “creative” part of a creative reuse center as a call to experiment, collaborate, and transform used items into something useful once again.

To date, we have diverted over 17,000 lbs. from the landfill. We have deliberately sought out and established collaborative partnerships with other local organizations, both for material donations and classes. Over 550 people have attended our creative reuse classes and events. We hosted our first local reuse artist Maker’s Market and our first annual fundraising event. We are halfway to our financial goal for opening a permanent location.

Magpie Creative Reuse was started with artists and makers in mind. We serve the Kansas City creative community by providing affordable materials and supplies, as well as inspiration for reuse, and will continue to expand those opportunities as we grow!

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think one of our biggest risks has been the incorporation and founding of this new nonprofit. Starting a business is challenging, and our first year was entirely driven by volunteer effort. It is amazing to think that Magpie exists because so many dedicated individuals have given time, sweat, physical labor, long days, and just hard work. We are passionate about what we are doing and what we are working to provide for the Kansas City community.

Pricing:

• Our pricing is a Suggested Donation Fill-a-Bag
• $25 Large
• $10 Small
• We recommend the price structure above, but if you don’t fill your bag all the way, or you think a different price is fair for the items you selected, or if you need a little discount, then great!
• That is what you pay!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://magpiecreativereuse.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magpiecreativereuse?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558051957826