Reduce and Reuse

Please visit webpages or contact organizations directly for accurate and up-to-date service information.

Help save resources and keep usable items out of the trash by repairing, donating, or selling your items and buying second hand.  Here are some opportunities for reuse available in Washington County.

Reuse

Free Product Room  at the Environmental Center. Find and take home free products such as paint, stain, automotive products, household cleaners, and more.

Repair

Don’t trash it,  fix it! Join Washington County Fix-it Clinic volunteers as they demonstrate simple repairs and maintenance of everyday items.

 Mending and Sewing

• How to patch jeans
• How to fix a broken belt loop
• How to replace a button
• How to fix a torn seam

General Repairs

• How to replace a power cord on a lamp
• How to replace a vacuum belt
• How to clean and maintain an oscillating fan
• How to replace a lamp socket

Online Repair Resources
Search these websites for free repair tutorial videos and guides.

• iFixIt.com
• RepairClinic.com
• YouTube.com

Local Repair Shops
Search online for items that need to be repaired.

Donate, Sell, and Buy Secondhand 

Save money and find quality, unique home goods and apparel items by shopping local thrift stores, classified websites, online trading communities, and yard sales. Earn extra cash by selling stuff you no longer need. 

Find opportunities in Washington County to Donate, Buy, Sell Secondhand (PDF).

Rent and Share

Save space and money by renting and sharing items. 

• Washington County Libraries – Borrow books, audiobooks, music, movies, and more. 
• Minnesota Tool Library – Tool lending library with locations in northeast Minneapolis and in St. Paul.
• Minnesota Rental Association – Rental store locator.
• Local businesses: Rent party supplies, tools, formal dresses, textbooks, moving boxes and more.