Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

ReUse Centers and Material Exchanges

Reuse Centers: means a place, such as a store or warehouse, where used items can be purchased. Thrift and consignment stores that sell used clothing and household goods are examples of reuse centers. There are also reuse centers that specialize in specific genres of goods, like art supplies, building materials and electronics. 
 
Material Exchanges: usually means a referral or listing service that helps connect those with unwanted materials to those looking for the same type of material. Usually, exchanges serve as a contact point or broker and do not physically handle materials. Some examples of regional online material exchanges include eBay, Craigslist, and Freecycle.  
 
It’s better to reduce waste before it is generated, reuse a resource or product to lengthen its life and when the first two are not possible, recycle or compost. An additional ‘R’ often overlooked is ‘Repair’. Consider buying goods that will have a long life; and avoiding single-use items. Well made products usually can be fixed and repaired. There are professionals and artisans that will repair a number of goods including cars, appliances, shoes, leather goods, jewelry, lamps, books, and clothing. Look for them in the yellow pages or an on-line search engine. 

EcoWorksCT
262 State Street
New Haven, CT 06510
Phone:  (203) 498-0710
Email: [email protected]
www.ecoworksct.org
Creative Reuse Center of Rhode Island
991 Waterman Ave
East Providence, RI 
Email: [email protected] 
Materials for the Arts
33-00 Northern Blvd., 3rd floor
Long Island City, NY 11101
Phone: (718) 729-3001
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.materialsforthearts.org      		 The Beautiful Stuff Project
Phone: (617) 875-9204
Email:  [email protected]
http://thebeautifulstuffproject.org
New Paltz Reuse Center
3 Clearwater Road
New Paltz, NY 12361
Phone: (845) 255-8456
Email: recycling@townofnewpaltz.org
Website: https://www.townofnewpaltz.org/recyclingreuse/pages/reuse-center
Everyone's Resource Depot
University of Maine, Farmington
Farmington, ME 04938
Phone: (207) 778-7150
The Scrap Exchange
2050 Chapel Hill Road
Durham, NC 27707
919-688-6960
email: [email protected]
www.scrapexchange.org
Scroungers’ Center for Reusable Art Parts (SCRAP)
834 Toland Street
San Francisco, CA 94124
Phone: (415) 647-1746
Email: [email protected]
www.scrap-sf.org 

 

ReUse Centers - Building Materials in the Northeast

The ReCONNstruction Center
65 Burritt Street
New Britain, CT 06053
Phone:  (860) 597-3390
Email:
[email protected]
Website: www.reconnstructioncenter.org
 ReStore - Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut
82 Boston Post Road
Waterford, CT 06385
Phone: (860) 437-3422
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.habitatect.org/restore

ReStore - Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut
89 Mill Brook Rd.
Plainfield, CT 06374
Phone: (860) 564-7507
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.habitatect.org/restore

ReStore – Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County
40 Honeyspot Road
Stratford, CT 06615
Phone: (203) 383-4358
Website: https://fairfieldcountyrestore.org
ReStore – Housatonic Habitat for Humanity
51 Austin Street
Danbury, CT 06811
Phone: (203) 205-0952
Website: https://housatonichabitat.org/restore/
 ReStore - Habitat for Humanity Middlesex County
The Crossroads at Cromwell Shopping Plaza
34 Shunpike Road
Cromwell, CT 06416
Phone: (860) 788-6483
Website: https://www.habitatmiddlesex.org/restore/
ReStore
500 Cottage Grove Road
Bloomfield, CT  06002
Phone: 860-519-0828
 Reuse Center at Boston Building Material Resources
100 Terrace Street
Roxbury, MA 02120
Phone: (617) 442-2262
Website: https://www.bostonbuildingresources.com/reuse-center

Material Exchanges

Some of these exchanges limit their services to specific geographic areas or user groups. 

Western/Central New York Materials Exchange
GLOW Region Solid Waste Management Committee
Batavia, NY
Phone: (800) 836-1154
Website: www.recycle.net/exch
Reuse Marketplace
This is a regional on-line material exchange sponsored by the states of CT, DE, MA, NJ, NY, RI, and VT and also by several corporations.  This site replaced or enhanced existing exchanges within those states.

Furniture and Household Goods

Thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army accept donations of good usable furniture and household items and sell these goods at low cost. Books can also be donated to Better World Books. 

Business Equipment

Business equipment, furniture and supplies are also often accepted by local thrift stores and consignment shops, including Goodwill and Salvation Army.  
 

Sports Equipment

Reuse stores are not just for non-profit organizations. Stores selling/buying/trading used sports equipment are on the rise, including Play it Again Sports found throughout the country including stores in CT.


Electronics (Computers, TV's, etc.)

If you have a computer that is still in good working order, you may be able to donate it to a school, or to an organization that distributes computers to schools. Some organizations provide technology not only to schools but will also provide equipment to non-profits and/or public agencies that provide services to the needy, the unemployed or the disabled.

Each organization that promotes electronics reuse has very specific requirements regarding the equipment that they accept, so call first to find out if your used equipment is a good fit with that organization’s needs. If your computer is an older model that may not meet the needs of today’s school system, but still works well, you may want to consider donating it to a local nursery school where speed and issues such as internet access are not an important consideration. You may also want to contact other local charitable organizations. 

Don’t trash your e-waste!  Learn more about electronic waste to ensure that you are disposing of your electronic devices properly.

Clothing

Thrift stores like Salvation Army and Goodwill accept donations of clothing and sell goods at low cost. In Connecticut, we have a thrift stores and consignment shops in many towns that are run by local organizations and private individuals.

Municipal Swap Shops

Many communities with solid waste or recycling transfer stations have Swap Shops, a barn, shed or other building where residents may take or leave useable household items. Contact your local recycling coordinator to learn if you have a Swap Shop in your community. If not, encourage them to do so.  It can become a hub for community activity! Swap Shops should be in a dedicated area, shed or building at the Transfer Station.

Disclaimer: The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) maintains the content on this web page to enhance public access to information and facilitate understanding of waste reduction, reuse and recycling. The DEEP is not recommending these resources over any others and recognizes these represent only a partial listing of resources on this subject.

Reduce/Reuse/Recycle

Content Last Updated September 25, 2025