Donating gently-used items and shopping second-hand is an easy and high-impact way to practice waste-sustainability in your every day life. Before throwing something away, ask yourself, “is this item still useful? Can it be donated, or does it have any re-sale value?” Before buying something new, ask yourself “is this something I can find in a thrift shop, antique store, or reuse center instead of paying more to buy it new?”
Practicing reuse helps to extend the useful life of our goods, supporting a more circular economy while also conserving resources and diverting solid waste sent to landfills. Donating unwanted items (that are still in good condition) not only fosters a community culture of waste reduction, but it also can make a difference by helping our neighbors in need and supporting local nonprofit organizations with charitable missions.
Click on a material from the list below to learn more about local reuse options for that item. This list was updated March 2025 and is an ever-growing archive of local reuse options. To request a correction to this list, please contact Angelina Brandt, Director of Sustainability at APEO@UCRRA.ORG. Please note: All donations are subject to approval by the various charitable organizations or programs listed on this page. Please contact these organizations with all inquiries or to verify the acceptance of any item in this list.