You Can Still Shop Film Biz Recycling's Props Online

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Brooklyn's best, weirdest treasure trove of film props and theater sets closed its Gowanus doors last month, but Film Biz Recycling's founder Eva Radke plans to continue her eco-conscious crusade online. In an interview with Bedford + Bowery, Radke expresses her discouragement at the lack of corporate funding for the seven-year-old Gowanus store:

"The MPAA told me, ‘Sorry, Ma'am, but we already have a carting company.' They thought we were a garbage company groveling for a contract," she said. "They didn't even look at my website. I don't get it. No one had anything to be afraid of. We've won an award from the EPA. We were featured in Oprah magazine. We've been on the White House blog ... it's like watching a unicorn die."

Since Film Biz Recycling closed, Radke's been focusing on Art Cube, her artist-to-artist online platform where filmmakers and set designers can share materials in the name of environmental friendliness:

"If you were on Art Cube and you were like, ‘I need a pink ladder,' three people will respond with, ‘I just saw one at Bed Bath & Beyond,' or ‘I have one in my shop,' or ‘I have one on my set right now. You should come and get it!' The community is amazing. The world is so large, and there's enough garbage for everybody."

Individual members on Art Cube can sign up for the listserv for $5 a month, though nonprofits and other businesses can also create accounts—to learn more, head here.