Donation Policy
A goal of the Montclair Creative Reuse Project is to facilitate the transfer of donations of surplus goods and materials from the individuals, households, and businesses who have them to the people who will value them and repurpose them into their creative endeavors.
This information is provided as best-practices to make donating easy, efficient, and safe. Please familiarize yourself with these instructions before donating to the MCRP and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact Claire! Please understand that we have limitations and cannot accept all your generous donations. If we hand back any materials when checking your donation, we will try our best to give you an alternative way to donate or dispose of it.
The Montclair Creative Reuse Project is NOT a non-profit organization. It is a social entrepreneurship project of Montclair Made. We cannot provide a receipt for your donation. The MCRP is based on the generosity of the donations we receive. Please know that we understand your personal connection to your materials and they will be re-loved when they are re-used! Thank you!
What do you mean by “surplus goods and materials donations”?
- Materials from disciplines like fiber arts, ceramics, jewelry making, print making, painting, photography, drawing, woodworking, stained glass, kids craft kits, bookmaking, etc
- School supplies like anything you’d see in a classroom, art room, school, home school, STEM lab, etc
- Samples, extra inventory, or new old stock from businesses
- Anything you’d buy at an office supply, art supply, or crafts store
- Anything you can make art with
Before you bring us your donation, make sure your materials are…
- “Craft-able”, meaning something you yourself would use
- “Shop-ready”, meaning ready to be sold
- Clean; freshly laundered; free of pet hair; dirt-free, mold-free, free of major stains; odor-free; free of water damage, free of debris of any kind
- Wrap sharp or delicate items carefully and label them clearly
- Sort and organize your materials
- Place materials into containers that can also be donated and are in good condition, not broken or dirty. Containers that are acceptable are reusable grocery tote bags, brown grocery bags, plastic grocery bags, cardboard bank boxes, cardboard boxes in good condition, canvas tote bags, clean laundry baskets, the original container for the items
How to Donate
Materials can be donated in a variety of ways:
- Your materials can be dropped off with us at one of the in-person events where we pop up. Check the Events page for upcoming dates where donations will be accepted
- They can be left at your convenience with no in-person contact at a location in downtown Montclair. Contact Claire directly for the address
- Occasionally we can arrange to pick up your donation
Acceptable Items
- Old photos, postcards, greeting cards
- Wallpaper
- Wine corks
- Clean mason jars in new or nearly new condition, with or without lids
- Sewing machines in working condition with pedal
- Cardboard paper towel rolls/ paper egg cartons
- Board games
- Unused/unopened party supplies
- Clean vinyl banners
- Sewing patterns
- Fabric/sewing notions
- Sewing tools
- Leather making supplies
- Empty cardboard fabric bolts
- Handmade/homemade costumes
- Graphic t-shirts
- Denim jeans
- Board games in complete and working condition
- Jewelry making supplies
- Ceramics supplies/kilns in working condition
- Printmaking supplies
- Photography supplies
- Papercraft/scrapbooking supplies
- Sewing/quilting supplies
- Art supplies
- School supplies/stationery
- Knitting/crochet/embroidery/needlework supplies
- Clean Ziploc-style baggies
- Cello bags
- Wood crafting supplies
- Wrapping paper
- Weaving supplies
- Whiteboards/bulletin boards/chalkboards
- Typewriters in working condition
- Tissue paper/gift wrap
- Trophies/medals/awards ribbons
- Vintage suitcases in good condition
- Stained glass supplies
- Soap making supplies
- Crayons/markers/pens/pencils in working condition
- Plant pots/gardening supplies
- Overhead projectors in working condition
- Paper cutters
- Musical instruments in working condition
- Magnets
- Mannequins
- Men’s neckties
- Arts and craft Kits
- Hot glue guns/glue sticks
- Hand Tools
- Aprons
- File Folders/hanging files
- Vintage hankies
- Display fixtures/stands/shelving
- Cigar boxes
- Canvas frames/pre-stretched canvases/canvas yardage
- Candlemaking supplies
- Books that are art/craft/diy-related/vintage/how to/guidebooks
- 5 gallon buckets that are clean, with or without lids
- Baskets
- Atlases/maps
- Tiles/mosaic supplies
- Paint swatches
Unacceptable Items
- Rusty items
- Battery operated items that are corroded
- Rechargeable items withOUT the charging cord
- Dirty, dusty, smelly, moldy items
- Broken items
- Household appliances
- House paint
- Any clothing other than denim jeans and t-shirts (which are acceptable)
- Food or perishables
- Food containers
- Computer hardware/software
- Electronic items
- Plush toys
- Toxic items or cleaning supplies
- Junk mail
- Styrofoam/styrofoam egg cartons
- Lightbulbs
- Packing peanuts/materials/bubble wrap
- Seashells
- CDs, DVDs, or jewel cases
- Wine bottles/used glass jars that previously held food
- Broken sewing machines or sewing machines without the pedal
- Bricks
- Vinyl siding
- Commercial costumes