Too Much Stuff? Creative Reuse Centers Get Discards Out of Landfills and Into Creative Hands

Offering a seasonal greeting, Santa welcomes shoppers to Leftovers, Etc., a creative reuse center in a St. Louis suburb.

My husband Dan and I have landed squarely in a season of life that has us going through and making decisions on and about all kinds of STUFF. We’re talking stuff of our own that has moved with us through childhood, stuff we’ve acquired through decades of married life and parenthood, plus stuff that’s made it to us via other family members. We aren’t preparing to move from the home we’ve loved since 2003, nor are we gearing up for an estate sale (not at that point in life just yet), but in collecting items for our annual neighborhood yard sales the past two years, we have become acutely conscious of how much stuff we possess that doesn’t serve us in this particular era of early retired-and-empty-nester life.

“What Do I Do With It All?” 

It can feel overwhelming just figuring out what to do with and where to go when items of all kinds are stacked, piled, shoved or even just lying in menacingly disorganized wait behind a closed door. Over the past few years, we’ve found different ways to deal with various types of stuff. Some of it is wanted and claimed by family or friends, which almost feels like a gift to us. The next step is to take good, still-quite-usable items in the clothing and homeware/home decor categories to a number of local charity shops. I also found I was also able to sell a few pieces of clothing and accessories on resale platforms. And for truly random items, we utilize our neighborhood yard sales. (I’ll admit it’s especially fun to see what the neighborhood kids like to buy!) However, neither Dan nor I have the drive to become eBay or Facebook Marketplace experts or make selling more a part of our retirement lives.

Throughout our journey down the River Stuff, we have come across some things that are broken, stained or otherwise irreparably flawed, and thus suitable only for trash. We’ve also found a significant amount of stuff can go into our local recycling (we have weekly bin pick-up and are fortunate to be able to recycle glass, most plastics, and paper). And since paper we no longer need containing personal information is a not-insignificant category of stuff, we shred what we can at home and also hit community shred events. 

However, we had often wondered what to do with things that aren’t sale-worthy at a charity shop or candidates for recycling but aren’t really trash either. We have discovered a few different avenues that allow these items to live on and bring joy to others. One of the most interesting of these is our local creative reuse center (CRC).

What Exactly Is a Creative Reuse Center? 

Basically, a CRC is a facility that collects donated materials that would otherwise be relegated to a landfill and instead sells them to the community, often at a nominal price, for creative reuse. It might be a for-profit business or it might be a not-for-profit. A CRC differs from a recycling facility by keeping items in their original form and offering them to the public for new uses (like selling excess wrapping paper rolls, loose unused greeting cards, or clean styrofoam meat trays), while a recycling center breaks items down into raw materials to make new products (like breaking down wrapping paper or cards and making them into new, recycled paper). 

Some CRCs Friendsville Denizens Might Frequent…And a Mega List! 

In St. Louis, the not-for-profit Leftovers, Etc. is one great example of a creative reuse center. Just a glance at its Donate page reveals all the items people bring in that are then organized by volunteers for the items’ next lives. In Kansas City, ScrapsKC is the place to go. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, CreateExchange is your stop. In San Diego? Drop by Art FORM. For a comprehensive listing of CRCs across the U.S., visit the blog by crafter extraordinaire swoodsonsays and check out her up-to-date mega list of CRCs. 

A Closer Look at Leftovers, Etc. 

Photo 1: A very colorful welcome that prepares you to be dazzled by what you’ll find inside Leftovers, Etc.! / Photo 2: Sandy O’Dell, executive director, showcases her creative holiday display. She says her responsibilities keep her busy, “and at my age, that’s important. As long as I’m busy, my doctor doesn’t worry.” / Photo 3: The “gift shop” area offers beautiful items just like a retail gift shop, and for a whole lot less than retail! / Photo 4: These containers once held refrigerator staples like creamer, milk, salt, butter and oatmeal. Here they are neatly organized and ready for an individual or class project.

The Book Exchange is a relatively new addition to Leftovers. I bought three practically new books for $2.

My husband and I recently took some donations to Leftovers, Etc. and visited with Sandy O’Dell, who has served as its executive director since 1997. Sandy and a friend started Leftovers in 1992, as recycling started to become more common. Leftovers has called several facilities home over the years and is now located in a 14,000-square-foot facility in Woodson Terrace, a small suburb of St. Louis just south of Lambert International Airport. The expansiveness of the building, which Leftovers moved into in 2024, has allowed a book exchange to be added among its vast selection of recycled items. 

“We take most things — no furniture or clothes except for denim, and no religious items [due to the organization’s nonprofit status]. Our selection changes daily,” Sandy said. “We get some weird stuff, but we put it out there and it goes.”

Sandy carefully considers what is put on the floor and how the massive variety of items is displayed and organized. “A lot of people bring in what looks like trash, but it has to look nice or people won’t buy it.” Indeed, the center is better organized than most thrift stores. She has 7-8 volunteers; the very few things that Leftovers cannot use go on to their next life via Goodwill. 

Photo 1: Random leftover cups of all shapes and sizes that probably drove people nuts are now organized and looking for their next home. / Photo 2: A table of cups filled with odds and ends awaits crafters looking for those last little bits that can inspire an idea or complete a project. / Photo 3: Christmas ribbon, florals, decorative picks, pinecones and other festive holiday ephemera are waiting to make the season bright.

Frequent customer and Leftovers Board member Diane Ritter of O’Fallon, Missouri, was visiting with Sandy the day we stopped by. “Just walking in the door, your imagination goes wild,” Diane said. “I love coming to visit. I hang out in the sewing section, but I wander through all the craft areas because I like to do crafts. When I come here, I feel I can de-stress.” 

Collecting Items for a Creative Reuse Center 

Leftovers even takes old trophies! And they have quite a jigsaw puzzle collection, too.

It might feel like a pain to add another task to a full household to-do list, but I submit that taking a few boxes of things to a place where they will find their next life and be enjoyed by someone rather than dumped in a landfill results in a very rewarding feeling. If you have access to a CRC and want to get started, I suggest looking at the center’s website to find out exactly what they take, then finding a dedicated home for those things. Think, “don’t throw it away, throw it in the collection bin!” An out-of-the-way spot (perhaps in a garage or basement) with a box or stand-up shopping bag is a great way to start. Just toss the items in, collecting enough to fill a bag or box or two. But remember the items must be clean and intact for them to be of any use to the next person.  

Special Places to Donate Excess Fabric 

I know I am not the only one in my circle who possesses fabric that does not suit what I want to create at this point in my life. While some CRCs may take fabric, this post from the blog Sew Mama Sew has additional ideas for fabric donations, plus helpful considerations to keep in mind before donating fabric: 12 Places to Donate Your Unwanted Fabric  

Reuse, Repurpose and Rediscover Your Creative Side! 

If you have a CRC near you, I hope you feel encouraged to set aside a little corner to collect some items to donate that might otherwise go into your trash and then explore what your CRC offers that might ignite your creativity. If you’ve visited a CRC, please leave a comment about your experience; I’d love to read about it! 

Laurie White Bergman, a retired public relations professional and recent empty-nester, finds her latest act full of places to visit, activities to explore, skills to learn (or rediscover), and friends to make it all fun and worthwhile. She lives in St. Louis County, Missouri. Connect with her on Threads: @laurie_bergman 

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