Last month, Reuse Minnesota and several of our member organizations had the opportunity to connect with hundreds of fairgoers at the Minnesota State Fair. We were proud to coordinate the Reuse & Repair Community Booth in the Eco Experience Progress Center, a space dedicated to sustainability and environmental education.
Carolyn Wieland and Emily Barker, Reuse Minnesota staff
The Reuse & Repair Community Booth aims to demonstrate repair and reuse skills, raise awareness of the environmental, social, and financial benefits of resale, rental, and repair, and highlight organizations working in these sectors.
Over the 12 days of the fair, different member organizations engaged with attendees—sharing how their work supports reuse, repair, and waste reduction across the state.
This year, our primary focus was on promoting and recruiting volunteers for Fix-It Clinics in Greater Minnesota. We educated fairgoers on the value of repairing and mending everyday items, explained how Fix-It Clinics work, and shared opportunities to get involved.
We were excited to partner with the following member organizations, who each helped staff the booth and share their reuse stories:
The Eco Experience, hosted by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, remains one of the state’s premier platforms for environmental outreach, offering hands-on activities, live demonstrations, and helpful resources for Minnesotans of all ages.
Thank you to everyone who joined us on August 14 at La Doña Cervecería for Reuse Minnesota’s Board fundraiser! Whether you attended, bid in the silent auction, or made a donation, your support helped us raise $3,600 to advance reuse across Minnesota.
Proceeds from the event will support our work to educate Minnesotans on the benefits of reuse, advocate for reuse-friendly policies, and promote the many businesses and organizations driving reuse in our state.
Attendees enjoyed connecting with fellow reuse enthusiasts, tasty tacos, and a unique array of silent auction items. Huge thanks to our Board of Directors for organizing such a fun and meaningful evening!
Missed attending the fundraiser? We welcome your financial support all year long!
Reuse Minnesota is a nonprofit dedicated to growing resale, rental, and repair across the state. Support our mission with a one-time or recurring gift.
Reuse Minnesota staff and board members Front row (L to R): Emily Barker, Executive Director, Audrey Woychick, Rita Cole, Margo Ashmore, Carolyn Wieland, staff, and Melissa Seeley Back row: (L to R): Emily Noyes, Annika Bergen, and Dustin Siemers
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our quarterly member on August 7.
We started the day with a tour of PCs for People in St. Paul, where we learned about their work responsibly recycling electronics and redistributing donated devices to low-income families and students.
After that, we visited Grahn's Upholstery to meet their talented team and hear about their process for transforming and restoring furniture.
The meeting portion of the day was held at PAIKKA, a sustainable event venue in St. Paul. We had folks join us virtually and in person. During the meeting, we shared several updates and announcements:
We were excited to spotlight two member organizations who are doing great work to foster reuse and sharing in their communities:
Our next gathering will be our annual meeting on November 17, from 10am-4pm.
Reuse Minnesota staff, board members, and several of our organizational members had the privilege of attending this year’s Build Reuse Conference, held on August 4-6 in Saint Paul. Over the course of the three-day event, attendees engaged in workshops, panel discussions, and site visits focused on building material reuse, deconstruction, and circular economy solutions. It was an inspiring opportunity to connect with national leaders in the reuse space.
(From L to R): Board members Petrina Rhines, Hannah Jenkins, Rita Cole, Audrey Woychick, Emily Noyes, Margo Ashmore, and staff members, Carolyn Wieland and Emily Barker.
On July 15, 2025, Chisago County held its first Fix-It Clinic at the North Branch Library, in partnership with Reuse Minnesota.
Thanks to these efforts, the clinic diverted 59 pounds of waste from the landfill. It also sparked valuable conversations about repair, reuse, and sustainability.
Huge thanks to the volunteers and attendees who made this launch event such a win for Chisago County!
The event was funded by a Statewide Waste Reduction and Reuse grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, with support and guidance from Reuse Minnesota, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing reuse through education, advocacy, and partnership.
Get involved
Are you handy with repairs, sewing, or just want to help out at future events? We’re always looking for more volunteers! Fill out the volunteer interest form, and we’ll notify you about upcoming opportunities.
Future Clinics
For upcoming Fix-It Clinic dates, visit: https://www.chisagocountymn.gov/1453/Fix-It-Clinics or reusemn.org/events
This summer, thanks to a Green Partners grant from Hennepin County, Reuse Minnesota partnered with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board to offer two separate weeks of sustainability-focused summer camps for youth ages 8–13. The camps were held at Powderhorn and Beltrami Parks.
Campers explored the many ways reuse can help protect our planet—learning essential skills like sewing and mending, diving into hands-on upcycling projects, and discovering creative ways to reduce waste. Through engaging workshops and activities, students gained the tools and inspiration to become environmental changemakers in their communities.
Highlights from the camp included:
We thank all of our instructors and community partners who helped shape these weeks of camp! It was fun seeing the creativity and engagement from the campers who participated in these camps.
From March to April 2025, ten St. Louis Park middle school students in grades 6 and 7 participated in Club Mend, an 8-week after-school program focused on clothing repair and creative upcycling. Over the weeks, students built a variety of skills starting with basics like threading a needle, tying knots, and learning running and whip stitches. They practiced visible mending, replaced buttons, and created pocket mending kits.
The program also covered important topics such as fast fashion, the benefits of reuse and repair, and repurposing old T-shirts, turning them into T-shirt tote bags. Students explored creative reuse by painting on reclaimed denim and making patches through iron-on, hand sewing, and machine sewing techniques.
Students got to learn more advanced skills included darning (both freehand and using a speedloom), with dedicated practice sessions. In celebration of Earth Day, students tried English paper piecing to create fabric flowers. The program wrapped up with upcycling button-up shirts into gift bags.
Funded by Hennepin County’s Green Partners grant, Club Mend allowed Reuse Minnesota the opportunity to teach younger generations essential mending skills, while inspiring them to think creatively about repairing and upcycling textiles.
Dodge County celebrated the success of its first-ever Fix-It Clinic on July 13, 2025, held at Dodge County Renovation Reuse. Organized in partnership with Reuse Minnesota, the event gave community members the chance to bring in broken or worn household items and work side-by-side with skilled volunteers to diagnose and repair them, all free of charge.
Thanks to the generosity and expertise of our volunteer fixers and menders, participants were able to give new life to a variety of items including a vacuum, rocking chair, bikes, lamp, air purifier, and more. In total, over 211 pounds of waste were kept out of the landfill.
For upcoming Fix-It Clinic dates, visit: www.co.dodge.mn.us/fix-it_clinics or reusemn.org/events
Minneapolis, MN – Reuse Minnesota is proud to announce that it has been selected by Hennepin County as the contractor to coordinate and facilitate a new series of large-scale community swap events. Running from June 2025 through June 2027, this initiative aims to reduce waste by encouraging residents across the county to exchange reusable goods rather than dispose of them.
Twelve swap events will be hosted in various cities throughout Hennepin County, focusing on a range of materials including school supplies, toys, household goods, and more. Swap events are free community gatherings where people bring gently used items they no longer need and take home items they can use, all for free. It’s a fun, sustainable way to reduce waste, share resources, build community, and support local reuse efforts.
As the coordinating organization, Reuse Minnesota will manage all aspects of event planning and execution. Responsibilities include:
Volunteers wanted
Reuse Minnesota is currently seeking volunteers to support these events. Volunteer roles may include: welcoming attendees, assisting with setup and cleanup, checking in items, sorting donations, and more. Interested individuals can sign up to receive updates on volunteer opportunities by filling out this interest form: https://forms.gle/xwrVvXrYaYpF2EGd6
Reuse Minnesota brings extensive experience in planning and facilitating swap events. In 2022, the organization led training sessions for Minnesota government staff and community members on the benefits and logistics of hosting swaps. Executive Director Emily Barker previously led a series of successful swap events for the City of St. Louis Park, while her colleague Carolyn Wieland helped coordinate clothing swaps for the City of Eden Prairie.
The organization has also partnered with Wedge Co-op to host a book swap at its Lyndale location and organized a swap at REUSE24, Reuse Minnesota’s annual conference, bringing together leaders from business, nonprofits, government, and academia to promote reuse and sustainability.
This countywide swap initiative directly supports Reuse Minnesota’s mission to advance reuse across the state and contribute to a more sustainable, circular economy.
About Reuse Minnesota
Reuse Minnesota is a nonprofit organization dedicated to growing reuse in the state of Minnesota and beyond.
Reuse Minnesota builds partnerships and supports a strong network of businesses and organizations focused on reuse. Through education, advocacy, and promotion, the organization raises awareness about the benefits of reuse. It is dedicated to advocating for repair, resale, and rental businesses, helping to promote the reuse economy. Their goal is to make reuse a central part of everyday life, contributing to a more sustainable future for Minnesota.
In April 2025, Reuse Minnesota was honored to be the Change Matters partner at Wedge Co-op. Thanks to the generosity of Wedge Community Co-op, its shoppers, and product partners, a total of $10,708.19 was raised to support local reuse and repair initiatives. This includes $10,287.94 in register round-ups and $420.25 from sales of partner products by Baker’s Field Flour & Bread and Lowry Hill Provisions.
We’re so thankful to the Wedge for its commitment to community-driven change through the Change Matters program. The funds raised will help launch Reuse Minnesota’s mending and repair rebate program in 2026, empowering people to extend the life of their belongings and reduce waste. Thank you to everyone for shopping and supporting Reuse Minnesota!
Reuse Minnesota was founded in 2012 and is a member-based nonprofit that supports repair, resale, and rental businesses, bringing visibility to the reuse sector as a means to lower our state's impact on the environment.
Contact usEmail Reuse Minnesota612-314-6283reusemn.org
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