Our mission - a circular market

At BTC, circularity is our driving force. Over 70% of what we take in gets sold, a percentage that is higher than industry average! Keeping clothes out of landfills isn’t our only goal, though — there are tons of other ways we make use of every donation that comes our way.

For instance, we take old newspapers from Coleman Library, located right here in Germantown, and use them up front for fragile purchases. We also utilize them in the back for storage and packaging. Any reusable shopping bags or boxes we receive are also either used for our operations, or given right back to you to hold your new goodies. 

We get a lot of random donations. Sometimes receive toiletries like face wash, shampoo, makeup, or perfume. If the bottle is intact and clean, and plenty of product remains, we give it a chance on our shelves for you to buy. When we get hand soaps or cleaning products donated, we use them to clean the store! We even keep and reuse office supplies that come in, and sell the rest we cant use. Even our shelves and display cases are second hand! We don’t buy anything new if we don’t have to.

We also encourage “up-cycling”—repairing damaged clothing or housewares, or using them to create something new. While many second-hand stores don’t do this, we sell clothing items that are slightly damaged but repairable. If you’ve come across any pieces with missing buttons or has minor damage, we price it accordingly so someone handy can breathe some life back into it. This approach offers an opportunity to extend a garment’s lifespan while still reducing waste. 

Taking a step further benefits not just us and our customers, but most importantly, earth. What ways can you take it further in your day-to-day life for the planet? Shopping with us is definitely a great start!

Our truck after one of our recent clothing drive pickups — your donations are what keep us going!