Donate, Share, Resell, & Buy Used

Additional Donate Information

Keep items out of the landfill by donating them to nonprofits, consigning or selling them to a local reuse store, giving them to neighbors or exchanging them at swaps.

Donate Clothes, Shoes, and Linens

Threadcycle partners will accept these items to resell and recycle. These partners accept:

  • ALL your clothes, shoes and linens—even the sadly torn and badly worn.
  • Single socks, shoes, gloves and other—orphan items that are normally paired.
  • Other items can be given in ANY condition, including stuffed animals, purses, belts, and other accessories.

Important:

  • Don’t give items that are wet, mildewed or soiled with hazardous materials.
  • Don’t put clothes, shoes, linens, or other household fabrics in your recycling bin.

Materials are central to our economy, our environment, and our communities.

Everything you buy or use starts by taking resources from the land, making them into a product, transporting it, using it, and then recycling, composting, or landfilling it. All this has big impacts on the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil where we grow food.
 
By taking action to prevent waste, you…

  • Save money by buying and using less.
  • Help our community by donating and sharing materials.
  • Reduce air and water pollution that hurt wildlife and human health.
  • Conserve natural resources, such as water, energy, land, and fuel.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

The EPA estimates about 42% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are caused by making, transporting, and disposing of materials. (Source: US EPA, Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Materials and Land Management Practices, 2009)
 
That means that the everyday choices you make about what you buy and use don’t just impact you. They also impact your community and people all over the world.
 
We are already seeing climate change impacts in Seattle with hotter summers, smoke from regional wildfires, and shoreline changes due to rising sea levels. We are also thinking towards the future to protect our water supply from droughts as temperatures continue to increase.

Your choices matter. Choose to prevent waste!

Woman sorting a pile of clothes
The average person throws away 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles per year, according to EPA estimates. Most of these items could be reused or recycled.

Share in Your Community

Join a tool library! These community-based organizations allow members to check out tools for home projects to craft-making to food production. Some also offer classes. 

Join a Buy Nothing Facebook group or download the App to ask neighbors for items you want to borrow or share. You can also bring together your own groups of friends, family, and colleagues to share items through Community Gearbox.

Join GeerGarage to share outdoor gear. Whether you have gear to rent out or you're looking to rent from others nearby, GeerGarage makes it easy to connect and enjoy outdoor adventures at a lower cost.

Swap, Barter & Buy Second-Hand Goods

Rethink where you'll find your next "purchase."

Swapping and bartering allow you to obtain items without needing to spend money. Instead, you exchange items or services you don’t need with clothes, gear, furniture or other goods you do need. Set up swaps and barter fairs with friends or neighbors or attend annual organized swaps across the city.

Many of the entities listed as donation locations above also re-sell what they receive. You can also find equipment through public agencies:

Woman shopping in thrift store
Finding bargains

Repair & Maintain

Keep your stuff in use longer instead of buying more. Learn do-it-yourself repair:

  • iFixit, a wiki-based site with repair guides for all matter of devices, an Answers Forum and access to a parts and tools store.
  • Attend "repair cafes" where experienced fixers or sewers will work on your item or help you learn to repair it yourself. Check the Tool Libraries listed above for events or repair classes.
  • Look up bike shops for professional repair or classes to learn how to maintain yourself.

Find like-minded individuals to share, swap, repair and learn how to avoid waste.

Choosing products that outlast a single use and seasonal trends is a first step to preventing waste. Products that are made from long-lasting materials are typically easier to repair and reuse too.

Consider these questions before your next purchase*:

  • Is the product’s design timeless, outlasting current trends?
  • Is this product’s construction long-lasting and repairable?
  • Do independent and customer reviews support this product’s longevity?
  • Does this brand offer the best warranty and maintenance?

*Adapted from: https://buymeonce.com

Hands working a sewing machine
Repair or make items

Public Utilities

Andrew Lee, General Manager and CEO
Address: 700 5th Avenue, Suite 4900, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34018, Seattle, WA, 98124-5177
Phone: (206) 684-3000
SPUCustomerService@seattle.gov

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Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is comprised of three major direct-service providing utilities: the Water Utility, the Drainage and Wastewater Utility, and the Solid Waste Utility.