Finding what you need without buying it new in Minnesota

This past week, I’ve written a few things about the importance of reuse (i.e. using things again — a practice distinctly different from recycling) as an environmental practice.

One of the trickiest things about finding what you need without buying it new is actually finding it, used — because supply chains don’t exist for that sort of thing like they do for new stuff.

Online searching is easy (ebay.com and amazon.com both have the option to limit searches — just navigate to ‘condition’ and click ‘used’ in the left sidebar after you’ve gotten your first set of search results… and look for this on other sites, as well). Shopping locally can be trickier, though — which is why a group of folks in Minnesota have gotten organized to make this easier for all of us.

In early October, Reuse Minnesota launched a new website: reusemn.org. This site has a searchable database, populated by dozens of area shops that offer resale (and also, those that offer rental and repair services). If you live in MN, take a few minutes to explore it today so you’re familiar the next time you’re in need of something.

This tool is also useful if you want to donate something specific — the site allows you to identify organizations willing to accept specific items (typically as donations, but sometimes via sale), as well.

Happy hunting!