Our Mission

The WasteShed is a non-profit creative reuse organization dedicated to giving new life to art supplies and promoting sustainability. We offer affordable, reused art materials to the public, and provide free supplies to teachers and schools.

We reduce waste by repurposing old art, craft, and school supplies, keeping them out of landfills while supporting creativity and education. While sustainability is the ultimate goal, creative reuse focuses on practical, cost-effective, and fun hands-on activities as points of entry into larger discussions about the things we own, and the way we live.

2022 Heat map of where WasteShed materials end up — in schools in and nonprofits all over the Chicago area.

Our Impact

High-quality, carbon-negative materials for art and education

We estimate the total value of the supplies redirected to Chicago-area schools, artists and teachers last year at over $500,000.

The Wasteshed Evanston’s Free To Teachers section provided local educators with $8,807 in totally free materials in 2022! Learn more here.

30 tons diverted from the landfill in 2022, over 130 tons total processed since opening!

In 2022, the combined powers of our Evanston and Humboldt locations diverted 61,218 lbs of materials (over 30 tons) away from the landfill and back into the community. This is roughly the weight of an (unloaded) freight train car. This is also 32% more than our previous record from 2019, and 25% of our grand total from the last 8 years (122 tons!)

The WasteShed is supported in part by grants from:

• ComEd: Powering the Arts

• Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

• The Whirled Peas Foundation

• The Sargent Family Foundation

• Christ Church Winnetka

• The Protolabs Foundation

• and the Illinois Art Council Agency.