ReUse Program Self-Help Guide

Since we're often in the warehouse and not close to our phone, the best way to reach us is by email at reuse@umn.edu. If you want to leave a voicemail, call 612-626-9152 and we will return your call. Email is by far the fastest way to get a response.

We post pictures of newly arrived materials every Wednesday night and every Friday night. For a sampling of what we will have available please follow us on Facebook. Did you see something on Facebook that you can't live without? The only way to guarantee the right to buy something is to be the first person in line before we open for a public sale. On occasion we have had people show up several hours before opening to have first right to purchase an item. We cannot hold items by Facebook request, email request or voicemail request.

General Public Hours:

Thursday 8:30am - 5:00pm

Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm

University Department Hours:

Tuesday 8:30am - 3:00pm

Wednesday 8:30am - 3:00pm

Also available during General Public Hours (please bring EFS and your U-Card)

The warehouse is located at: 883 29th Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55414. We allow free parking in the University of Minnesota Reuse Program loading dock area on Thursdays from 8:30am - 4pm and Saturdays from 10am - 4pm. Additionally, free street parking is usually available just to the south of the warehouse, on Weeks Avenue (but be careful about parking too close to driveways — you might get a ticket!). You will be ticketed if you park in a contracted parking location or if you do not pay at a metered spot. There is no free parking in the loading dock area outside of public sale times. University faculty and staff visiting the ReUse warehouse must use the metered spots on non public sale days.

From the North: Take 35W South to Hwy 280 Take the Como Avenue Exit Go West on Como Avenue Turn left on 29th Avenue SE From the East: Take 94 West to Hwy 280 Take the Como Avenue Exit Go West on Como Avenue Turn left on 29th Avenue SE From the South: Take 35W North to Hwy 280 Take the Como Avenue Exit Go West on Como Avenue Turn left on 29th Avenue SE From the West: Take 94 East to Hwy 280 Take the Como Avenue Exit Go West on Como Avenue Turn left on 29th Avenue SE

The University of Minnesota ReUse Program can accept non hazardous materials owned by the University. We can not accept privately owned materials from the general public. The ReUse Program offers a generally free pick up service for small quantities of most materials from designated locations on campus. See the ReUse Guidelines below. You may also hire 3rd party movers or University general laborers to move any quantity of materials from any location on campus.

The ReUse route will collect small quantities of most materials for no charge. If you have industrial equipment, large pieces of lab equipment, equipment with refrigeration, or large quantities of materials (more than the ReUse Route guidelines below) fees do apply. The Como recycling facility and ReUse Program charge 10 cents per pound for most materials in large quantities and special rates apply for large items or materials that are refrigerated.

The University of Minnesota can not accept materials from the general public. All materials available through the University's ReUse Program are owned and donated by the University. If you have privately owned usable materials to donate please contact an organization like ReUSE Minnesota to find suitable organizations that can receive your materials.

For non capital equipment, view the ReUse Routes guide and determine when our driver will be at your building. Leave items at the designated pickup location, clearly marked, and the driver will pick up the items. Please note: we are unable to come inside your building beyond the loading dock to collect your materials.

If you have capital equipment that you no longer need you must first request disposal of the property through Inventory Services. You may download the appropriate form from the University of Minnesota policy library. After approval, the asset tag should be removed. From there, the item may be transferred to the ReUse Program. If you have equipment that can be sold for $1000 or more look at our Profit Sharing Program.

Are you a University department with high value equipment to sell? Partner with the ReUse Center and we will help you sell your items as part of our profit sharing program.

The ReUse Program will pick up new, used and empty toner and ink cartridges and ensure they get handled in an environmentally sound manner. Simply leave them at your building's pickup location and we'll pick it up. Please label them for ReUse/Recycling.

Pack & Give Back is aimed at reducing waste generated by students moving at the beginning and end of each semester. When students move out in the spring, they are encouraged to donate things they no longer need to ReUse, and we’ll sort and sell or dispose of them. Pickup locations are in residence halls on campus.

Donations to Pack and Give Back are open to all residents in the Marcy-Holmes, Southeast Como, Prospect Park, and Cedar-Riverside neighborhoods.

Donations are accepted during specific dates each year at the warehouse or at specified donation boxes on campus. Dates will be published on our Facebook page and posted in residence halls. DO NOT drop materials outside the ReUse warehouse overnight. This is considered illegal dumping and will be prosecuted. Materials for donation can only be accepted during normal business hours.

Did you see something on Facebook that you can't live without? The only way to guarantee the right to buy something is to be the first person in line before we open for a public sale. On occasion we have had people show up several hours before opening to have first right to purchase an item. We cannot hold items by Facebook request, email request or voicemail request. We can sell you an item over the phone during public hours only. The fastest way to reach us is by email. Send us a number you can be reached at and we will call you back and accept payment over the phone. Please be aware, the first right to purchase an item will go to customers physically here waiting when we open on public sales days. If an item does not sell it may be available for purchase over the phone.

We accept cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover (checks are not accepted).

University departments must provide their EFS string (Fund – DeptID – Program/Project) and have their photo U card identification with them. There is no charge for reuse within the University for most materials at the ReUse warehouse. Some exceptions include materials we repair, refurbish, have an expense associated with, are part of the Profit Share Program or are vintage. These materials may have an actual cost to departments.

All items are sold as is. No refunds, no exchanges. We recommend that customers carefully inspect and test items prior to purchase.

Displayed prices are non-negotiable for the first two weeks after an item is first offered for sale to the public. This date is displayed on every price tag. We offer standardized discounts based on the time the item has been available for purchase. The color of the sales sticker indicates the automatic discount of 20%, 40%, 60% or even as much as 80% off. The colors for sales are indicated on a sign at the cashier station for each sale day. There are no discounts for items marked with white stickers.

We deliver to University building docks for the small fee of $75 for the first 100 pounds and $10 for every additional 100 pounds. Our ReUse route cannot deliver beyond the loading docks indicated on our routes page. You may hire 3rd party movers to bring materials from ReUse to anywhere on campus. We can also arrange UMN Laborers to move materials anywhere on campus. Please email us for information. reuse@umn.edu.

If suitable transportation is not possible at time of purchase, we will hold items at our facility for one week after payment is made. After one week, we will restock held items and offer them for sale.

In the fall many items from Pack & Give Back are available in the Free Store, held for two weeks at the beginning of the semester. We encourage students to check out the Free Store before purchasing new items such as futons, furniture and refrigerators. Residents of neighborhoods Marcy-Holmes, Southeast Como, Cedar-Riverside, and Prospect Park may also shop the Free Store during the last week of the sale, if they have made a donation.

The ReUse center holds two bike sales of refurbished bikes that have been abandoned on campus.