Material Donations

Looking to donate craft materials to one of our locations? The Wasteshed diverts usable art, craft, and school materials away from the landfill, making them available to the public for reuse at an affordable price.

The WasteShed is open for donations the last two weeks of the month, from Wed-Fri 9am-5pm.

Donations are in-person, drop off only.

  • ✅ Art supplies:
    Paint (Please NO house paint), dyes, brushes, ink, hot glue guns, glue, art tools, stencils, pencils, pens, markers, pastels, charcoal, ceramic tools and glazes, pencil sharpeners, mineral spirits, cutting mats, moldmaking and casting materials.

    ✅Craft supplies: 
    Fake flowers, doll making supplies, candle wax, soap/candy molds, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, pom-poms, craft foam, marbles, pins, board games/puzzles, beads, jewelry, magnets, masks and small costume elements, seashells.

    ✅Paper:
    Copy paper, rolls of paper, construction paper, cardstock, art paper and pads, origami paper, posters.

    ✅Collage/Scrapbooking/Images:
    Stickers, scrapbook paper, rubber stamps and stamp pads, calendars, playing cards, postcards, National Geographics, select other magazines (please ask for details), maps, old photos.

    ✅Fabric and Notions:
    Fabric yardage only (1/2 yard and larger, and fat quarters for quilting), yarn and knitting needles, cords and laces, lace, elastic, zippers, bobbins, thread, buttons, sewing tools, embroidery hoops, ribbon, fasteners, leather, felt, patterns.

    ✅Office Supplies
    Post-its, thumbtacks, staples, paperclips, writing utensils, scissors, hole-punches, staplers, tape dispensers, transparencies, sheet protectors, labels, envelopes, tape, notebooks, clipboards, and select 3-ring binders (1.5” or less, please email to see if we can accept them).

    ✅Framing/Signage
    Foam core, poster board, mat board, modern or fancy picture frames, old signs, plexiglass, silkscreens, vinyl lettering, hanging hardware, canvases (painted or new), easels.

    ✅Containers
    Mason jars, tins (non-holiday), plastic organizer boxes, Rubbermaid tubs, jewelry boxes, buckets, cigar boxes, film canisters.

    ✅Party/Gift Supplies
    Tissue paper, greeting cards (unused), party decorations, ribbons, bows, rolls of gift wrap, gift bags, bubble wrap.

    ✅Architecture/Interior Design
    Wallpaper, mosaic tiles (specifically for mosaics, NO household tile), paint swatches, mirrors, shelf brackets.

    ✅Metal/Hardware
    Wire, keys, nails, screws, bottlecaps, drafting/clip lamps, light kits, Xacto knives, most smaller tools.

  • x Items that are dirty or significantly damaged

    x Food or perishables

    x Wine Corks (Alternative: ReCork accepts natural cork)

    x Clothing

    x Books (unless art/design related) (Alternative: Open Books)

    x Housewares/furniture/appliances/household linens/dishes

    x Food containers

    x Loose pieces of glass (except stained glass)

    x Broken/incomplete picture frames (missing glass, backing etc).

    x Broken glass/ceramics

    x Computer hardware/software

    x VHS tapes, cassette tapes, CDs, or their cases

    x Printers or other electronics

    x Hanging files, file folders or binders over 2" wide

    x Toys

    x Knick-knacks (figurines, ornaments, baskets)

    x House paint

    x Toxic or unidentifiable substances

    x Junk mail

    x Magazines (except vintage, National Geographic, and art magazines, please ask)

    x Paper towel/toilet paper rolls

    x Egg cartons

    x Styrofoam

    x Architectural samples (Alternative [seasonal] Zero Landfill)

    x Fabric scraps under 1/2 yard (sorry no fabric samples, cut up clothing, household linens, or unfinished sewing projects)

    x Lightbulbs

What Can I Donate?

  • The WasteShed is always looking for new or gently used fine art and craft materials. This includes paint, brushes, art pens and pencils, canvas, and art paper. We also accept yarn and knitting supplies, sewing supplies, jewelry and beading supplies, and most craft materials.

    All donations must be clean and in usable condition. All sharp or breakable things MUST be wrapped and labeled.

    Please organize your donations, labeling your donations helps our staff and volunteers sort your donations.

  • The WasteShed has two locations available for accepting donations. Each center has its own capacity and may have holds on specific items. Be sure to call the location you are donating to before you arrive to ensure they are still accepting what you would like to donate.

    Our Chicago center is located at 1754 N Kimball Ave. You can reach this location via phone at (708)-620-4717.

    Our Evanston center is located at 1245 W Hartrey Ave. You can reach this location via phone at (224)-999-7460.ion text goes here

  • Any donation larger than three standard paper grocery bags, requires a scheduled donation appointment. Please call the location you are donating to ahead of packing up your stuff. This will save you time and help us prepare space to process your donation. We will do our best to accommodate your donation, but we may not be able to accept everything based on our limited floor capacity.

    Donations smaller than two paper grocery bags can be accepted as walk-ins.

    If you have large items like a flat file or a photo enlarger, or a large quantity of the same item, please send an inquiry to donations@thewasteshed.com. Our centers have limited capacity in both labor and space, and our ability to accept donations changes daily.

  • Donations are in-person drop-off only, Wed-Fri 11am-5pm certain weeks each month. Please check the calendars below to see which weeks each month we are open for donations. We do not have a pick-up service. We do not accept donations via courier or mail.

    When you arrive, please allow our staff up to 10 minutes to review and approve your donation. Please stay in the store until we approve your entire donation.

    We reserve the right to refuse any donation, for any reason. Items not accepted will be returned to you, and you must take them with you. Abandoned items are considered dumping.

    No DUMPING - Items left outside, during closed hours, or items left without staff approval is considered dumping. Dumping is illegal and not nice. It will make us sad.

Steps to Donate