An air quality alert has been issued due to wildfire smoke until 9 a.m. on Monday, July 14, for all of Minnesota. Ramsey County is included in “unhealthy."
Reuse & Donation Opportunities
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Coming soon: School supply swap
Starting in July, residents can drop off gently-used school supplies for a school supply swap this August.
Donation sites
Drop off gently-used school supplies at the Environmental Center and Ramsey County Library (RCL) branches starting July 1. Donation sites include:
- Ramsey County Environmental Center.
- RCL - Maplewood.
- RCL - Mounds View.
- RCL - New Brighton.
- RCL - North St. Paul.
- RCL - Roseville.
- RCL - Shoreview.
- RCL - White Bear Lake.
Accepted items
Donations should be gently used with life still left for other students to use. Donations are accepted starting July 1 until Aug. 1.
- Pencils/pens/markers/crayons.
- Notebooks.
- Lined or graphing paper.
- Calculators (working).
- Rulers/protractors/compasses.
- Scissors.
- Erasers.
- Glue sticks.
- Watercolor paints.
- Pencil cases.
- Pencil sharpeners.
- Backpacks (working zippers, no rips/tears/stains).
- 3-ring binders (1-inch only).
- Pocket folders.
School Supply Swap event
Saturday, Aug. 2
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Ramsey County Environmental Center
1700 Kent St., Roseville
Pick up gently used school supplies for free! This family friendly event helps reduce waste and support students by rehoming markers, backpacks and other supplies with plenty of life left. Please do not bring donated supplies to the event on Aug. 2. Donations will be accepted starting July 1 until Aug. 1.
Resource spotlight: How to patch jeans
Your favorite pair of jeans have just torn, but don't fret (and don't throw them away)! Mending clothes may seem daunting, but mender Maggie makes the process easy as she demonstrates how to patch a hole in a pair of jeans. Give your well-loved clothes a second life and learn a new skill along the way!
Reuse resources
Reuse resources and opportunities are widely available in Ramsey County. Before disposing of an item, consider if it can be repaired, donated or sold. Below are some reuse opportunities to consider.
Lists are not exhaustive and include resources outside of Ramsey County. Contact businesses directly for up-to-date information.
Repair
- Fix-it Clinics – get household items fixed for free at Ramsey County’s monthly Fix-it Clinics.
- iFixit – consult this global community for free videos and tutorials on how to repair items yourself.
- The Fix-It Club – choose from hundreds of free step-by-step repair guides for items around your home and garage.
- Local repair shops – search online by item needing to be repaired (e.g., phone, laptop, lawn equipment, etc).
- Local mending and alterations shops - search online.
Donate
Make sure items are clean and in good, working condition. Consider the following options:
- Household Items
- Clothing
- Building Materials
- Donation Opportunities with Pickup Services
Sell
- Sell online – consider platforms, like Craigslist, Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, etc.
- Sell in person – consider venues, like garage/rummage sales, flea markets, estate sales or consignment stores.
Buy
When purchasing used goods, consider the following options:
- In-person retail stores - Try Googling “Thrift Stores”, “Consignment Shops” or “Building Material Salvage” for options near you.
- Online Marketplaces – Consider platforms, like Craigslist, Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace, Letgo, eBay, Twin Cities Free Market, etc.
- Community-based events – Examples might include garage sales, clothing swaps, estate sales, etc.
Repair video series
Don’t trash it - fix it! Join Ramsey County Fix-it Clinic volunteers as they demonstrate simple repairs and maintenance of everyday items.