Fall Cleanup: Who Will Take Your Donations?

There's a chill in the air and beautiful colors on the trees: it's autumn in Minnesota. A change in season is always a great time for a cleanup.

And by cleanup, we mean more than raking leaves and bringing plants indoors. Now is the perfect time to dive into cleaning your garage, organizing a storage shed, or sorting through other spaces. As you organize and clean before the snow flies, you might even discover a few things you don't want anymore.

As appliances, furniture, and other household items start to pile up, so do questions of what to do with unwanted items. If you want to get rid of certain items, who will take them off your hands? Where will those boxes in your garage go when it's time to park inside?

Fortunately, there are a number of organizations in the Twin Cities that will accept your donated household items and keep them out of the dumpster. From that extensive list, there are three places we highly recommend: Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Better Futures Minnesota, and Bridging.

All three not only re-use household items, they contribute to other causes. However, they don’t all accept the same things. Be sure to study these lists and set aside your acceptable items to make your fall cleanup go smoothly.

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Donations made to ReStore are tax-deductible and revenue supports Twin Cities Habitat’s mission of creating, preserving, and promoting affordable homeownership. Plus, donating to ReStore means you’ll be keeping good, reusable items in use. Each year, ReStores keeps millions of pound of materials out of the waste stream and landfills.

Think of the items you see at big-box home improvement stores. To expedite your fall cleanup, here are the types of newer items ReStore prefers:

• Appliances (refrigerators, freezers, stoves, vent hoods, washers, and dryers less than 10 years old)

• Architectural items such as mantels, columns, framed stained glass, wood and wrought-iron stair railings, and spindles

• Building materials such as drywall, lumber, plywood, baseboard, and trim

• Bathroom fixtures such as new sinks, tubs, medicine cabinets, shower surrounds, and vanities less than 20 years old

• Doors (new or used wood, metal, bi-fold, and glass doors)

• Electrical components

• Flooring such as carpet, hardwood, tile, and vinyl

• Furniture such as chairs, dressers, end tables, dining tables, small desks, sofas, and shelving units

• Hardware (knobs, hinges, nails, screws, nuts, bolts, boxes of fasteners, and locks)

• Home goods such as new shutters, framed mirrors, large, framed art, lamps, and clean, unstained, pet-free rugs

• Home exterior products such as new gutters, insulation, siding, shingles, and shutters (accepted only from April through October)

• New HVAC units such as central air systems and furnaces (accepted only from April through October)

• Kitchen cabinets (less than 20 years old)

• Lawn and garden products such as edging, fencing, lawn furniture, grills, and yard tools (accepted only from April through October)

• Lighting and ceiling fans such as light fixtures, chandeliers, sconces, and lamps

• New windows complete with sash and frames

• Paint and paint supplies such as paint brushes, rollers, and paint trays

• Plumbing products such as new PVC and metal pipes, plumbing supplies, and water heaters

• Tools such as screwdrivers, ratchet sets, drills, circular saws, and fiberglass ladders

Ready to donate to ReStore? Please review our Donation Guidelines before dropping off your items at our convenient metro locations. Keep in mind that scheduling a pickup is an option, too. And don't forget to use the 20% off coupon from your donation receipt next time you shop!

Better Futures Minnesota

Better Futures Minnesota works to preserve an environment that creates jobs, helps people rebuild their lives, and improves the health of our planet. They promote environmentally sustainable practices through deconstruction, recycling, repurposing, and reusing materials such as appliances, homes, and buildings. Better Futures accepts donations of a wide range of household items, such as appliances, cabinets, doors, full boxes of tile, and more. Take a look at their donation list to see if they can help with your fall cleanup efforts. 

Bridging

Through the effective reuse of donated items, Bridging improves lives by providing quality furniture and household goods to those transitioning out of homelessness and poverty. Bridging accepts furniture, housewares, and small appliances (even ones that don’t function) from your fall cleanup, as well as bed frames, furniture, mattresses, housewares, and more.

Have Other Items?

Do you have items that ReStore, Better Futures, or Bridging don't accept? Consider donating to another organization in the metro area. Our community partners work hard to distribute items to people who need them, including our own Habitat homeowners. Those donations may be tax-deductible, too, and they'll benefit your community. Explore other options in the Twin Cities.

Whether you give to ReStore or another organization in the Twin Cities, your generosity is important. Thank you for your support, and happy fall cleaning!