The RE Store has been awarded a $20,000 grant by Alcoa Foundation as recognition for the nonprofit’s work on salvaging and repurposing used building materials.

The store’s REvision Division will use the money to further develop its repurposing program in Whatcom County. In 2011, the store saved 2,390 tons of building supplies, according to a Jan. 10 news release.

Alcoa Foundation, owned by the aluminum producer Alcoa, has invested more than $532 million since 1952 in nonprofit organizations that support environmental education and sustainable design, according to the foundation’s website.

The RE Store currently operates two retail spaces: one in Bellingham at 2309 Meridian St., and one in Seattle at 1440 NW 52nd St. It was founded in 1993 by the nonprofit group RE Sources for Sustainable Communities.