ABOUT US

Wondering what Reconsidered Goods is all about? The short version is that we are a 501-(c)(3) non-profit that takes donated materials from manufacturers and individuals and helps divert them from the landfill and instead, puts these items and materials into the hands of artists, makers, teachers and kids to create something new. Our mission is to promote environmental awareness, community engagement, and creative expression through reuse, education, and the arts. Our location features a retail store, workshop space, a maker's lab, and a welcoming place to meet and create together. We envision a world where all non-trash items see a second life through art and creative reuse.

We imagine a world where nothing is used once nor thrown away but instead reused again and again.

Visit us in our location at 4118 Spring Garden St, Greensboro NC 27407

If you have items or materials that you know have some life left in them or if you work at a company that has materials that are unused or could be used creatively, then get in touch with us about making a donation. View our list of items we accept below. As we are a non-profit, your donations can be deductible. Conversely, if you are looking for unique items and materials, we have lots from which to choose.

STATEMENT ON CULTURAL EQUITY

To support a full creative life for all, Reconsidered Goods commits to championing policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive, equitable nation.

DEFINITION OF CULTURAL EQUITY

Cultural equity embodies the values, policies, and practices that ensure that all people—including but not limited to those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion—are represented in the development of arts policy; the support of artists; the nurturing of accessible, thriving venues for expression; and the fair distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & AFFIRMATIONS

● In the United States, there are systems of power that grant privilege and access unequally such that inequity and injustice result, and that must be continuously addressed and changed.

● Cultural equity is critical to the long-term viability of the arts sector.

● We must all hold ourselves accountable because acknowledging and challenging our inequities and working in partnership is how we will make change happen.

● Everyone deserves equal access to a full, vibrant creative life, which is essential to a healthy and democratic society.

● The prominent presence of artists challenges inequities and encourages alternatives.

MODELING THROUGH ACTION

To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, we strive to…

● Pursue cultural consciousness throughout our organization through substantive learning and formal, transparent policies for staff and board members.

● Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and report organization progress.

● Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board, staff, and advisory bodies.

FUELING FIELD PROGRESS

To pursue needed systemic change related to equity, we strive to…

● Encourage substantive learning to build cultural consciousness and proliferate pro-equity policies and practices by all of our constituencies and audiences.

● Improve the cultural leadership pipeline by creating and supporting programs and policies that foster leadership that reflects the full breadth of American society.

● Generate and aggregate quantitative and qualitative research related to equity to make incremental, measurable progress towards cultural equity more visible.

● Advocate for public and private-sector policy that promotes cultural equity.

LONG TERM VISION

Reconsidered Goods, together with our reuse and arts community, will create a meaningful culture, structure, and embedded vision for inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility at our organization that is strong enough to outlive our time in leadership and in everything we touch and do. We are committed to honoring and sharing our community's collective history and experiences through leadership, funding, programming, and community engagement.

Contact us today!

PURCHASE AN E-GIFT CARD

Now you can buy that perfect gift for the Holidays or for any occasion! Get a voucher for yourself or gift one to a friend! Click the link below and we will email this voucher with the selected amount of your choice. Thanks for supporting Reconsidered Goods!

Purchase E-Gift Card!

WHAT TO DONATE?!

We're always looking for new items and materials and would be glad to take your donations based on the list below. If you have somwthing unique or are unsure if it's something we can accept, please give us a call or email us. Also, as a 501(c)(3), many donations are tax-decuctible.

Individuals bring us things like these:

• Clean, usable art and craft supplies
• Fabric, yarn, trim, buttons, sewing tools, weaving supplies, notions
• Beads, findings, broken jewelry, jewelry-making supplies and tools
• Scrapbooking supplies and tools
• Office supplies and school supplies (paper, organizers, staplers, crayons, pens & pencils, etc.)
• Frames, albums, photo storage materials
• Photography supplies and equipment
• Projectors and screens
• Old photographs, slides, filmstrips, home movies
• Vinyl albums, CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes
• Typewriters, sewing machines, adding machines, portable record players, radios
• Books related to art, craft, do-it- yourself, architecture, design, or science
• Maps
• Artwork (paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture)
• Easels and other studio equipment
• Seashells
• Clean, label-free glass jars with lids
• Candles and wax
• Greeting cards, stationery, scrapbooking materials
• Odd, old, interesting, or mysterious items that might be used by an artist or teacher
• Anything on the business donations list if you have it in large quantities

Businesses bring us things like these:

• Architecture and design samples (carpet, flooring, upholstery, surface, glass samples, etc.)
• Small hardwood scraps from woodworking
• Computer punch cards, unused ledgers, and other pre-digital office materials
• Paper, envelopes, hanging folders, binders, staplers, stamps, and other office supplies
• Typewriters, projectors, screens
• Lab glass and other unused lab supplies
• Surplus, seconds, or misprinted promotional items
• Cut-outs, roll ends, industrial mistakes
• Cut-offs and other unprinted paper
• Wine corks and other corks
• Blueprints and architectural plans
• Leather scraps and samples
• Clean buckets, barrels, and other containers
• Cigar boxes
• Unused paper bags
• Mat board, frames, and frame samples
• Cardboard tubes
• Film canisters
• Spools, reels, and cones
• Stickers and labels
• Gears, cogs
• Cord, wire, rope
• Mannequin and other portable display fixtures

Education Programs

Our Education Philosophy

• At Reconsidered Goods we believe as individuals and as a community, it is our responsibility to care for our environment through creative reuse, not just through art making but in all areas of life.
• We believe that a critical component of education is hands-on learning through creating, building, tinkering, and experimenting. 
• We believe that participants of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds have creativity and deserve a place at the art-making table. 
• Our goal is to help people reconsider the way they understand discarded materials, artmaking, and their own creative potential.    __________________________________________________________________________________________

~We offer field trips, participate in outreach events, and host workshops. Click here to inquire about booking an event https://forms.office.com/r/MZP3KxRjjb

~Looking for a place to have a birthday party...look no further! Click here to inquire about booking a birthday party https://forms.office.com/r/irtuuqtiYP 

~The Make-n-Take Lab is open Thursday-Saturday 10-5 and Sunday's 12-5

~Join us every first Sunday for CRAFTERNOONS from 12 pm to 4 pm!!

~Craft & Draft has returned from 6 pm-8 pm at Oden Brewing Company on 802 W Gate City Blvd

~Contact Shayla Doyal, Education Program & Outreach Coordinator, shayla@reconsideredgoods.org

frequently asked questions

What is Reconsidered Goods?

Reconsidered Goods is a Creative Reuse Center with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and our mission is to promote creativity, environmental awareness, and community through reuse. We collect materials from hundreds of individuals, businesses, industries, and municipal sources and distribute those materials for purchase in a retail store located in Greensboro, North Carolina as well as through workshops, events, and parties.

Reconsidered Goods is a benefit for all that are involved — because of our501(c)(3) status, our donors are eligible for a tax deduction for the value of the items they donate. Community members have access to hard-to-find, affordable materials. Usable materials are kept from entering the waste stream.

Where do you get your materials?

We collect materials from Greensboro and the surrounding areas. Materials include foam, paper, fabric, zippers, buttons, test tubes, and much more. We take contributions from individuals and businesses. We welcome craft materials, art supplies, vintage goodies, and other unique items.

What materials do you accept?

Please visit our What materials do we accept page for information about donating materials, and what we are able to accept.

What do you do with the materials you collect?

Our materials are sorted and evaluated for sale. Materials are sold in our retail store and featured in a variety of creative arts programs and workshops.

What are your store hours?

Mon - Sat 10AM-6PM • Sun 12PM-6PM

Where are you located?

We are located at 4118 Spring Garden St. • Greensboro NC 27407

What do you do with the money you make selling materials?

Store sales and income generated by fee-for-service programming supports our mission, allowing us to collect materials from businesses and individuals in our area, and to process those materials and make them available to the public.

How did Reconsidered Goods get started?

In 2015, Paige Cox and a group of supporters began shaping Greensboro’s creative reuse center. Paige attended a 4 day Bootcamp hosted by The Scrap Exchange in Durham. Armed with the knowledge of this experience, our group successfully created Greensboro's first fully functioning non-profit creative reuse center.

As an organization, nearly 90% of our annual budget comes from income generated through sales and fee-for-service programming. The money we make through retail sales and outreach programs pay for day-to-day operations (salaries, rent, utilities, vehicles, etc.) and allow us to continue collecting materials and providing programming that fulfills our mission. The remaining income is generated through community grants and cash donations to further the arts, education, and environmental endeavors.

Please consider supporting Reconsidered Goods and help us care for our community.