Description:

Join The Plant at its annual Reuse-a-Palooza event south of downtown!

"It’s cold out there but we’re already looking toward the spring edition of Reuse-a-Palooza at The Plant, a semiannual event that provides opportunities to repair clothing and household items, safely dispose tricky-to-recycle items, and donate bicycles, gently used books, and more, all the while bringing attention to strategies to reduce waste and improve environmental conditions.

We’ll be joined by an amazing group of waste-reduction and repurposing enthusiasts focusing on approaches to purchasing and consumption that make good sense economically, environmentally, and socially. Plan to see our friends at Reduce Waste Chicago, PCs for People, Working Bikes, Community Glue, PAWS Chicago, Madd Science Print Lab, Third Act Illinois, 350 Chicago, Tinyshop, Bliss Joy Bull, Trash People, and many others! They'll be on hand to repair, responsibly recycle, screen print vintage clothes, play bicycle-powered tunes, and discuss new strategies to reduce your environmental footprint and advocate for greater change.

Plus, Bubbly Dynamics will be showcasing our in-house practices to refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle materials here at The Plant and at Bubbly. We will be offering a tour of The Plant at 2pm sharp — advance tickets are strongly suggested and may be purchased here. Stick around afterward to discuss your springtime resolutions in Whiner’s taproom — they’ll be open til 8pm. And yes, there will be green beer, naturally colored with Back of the Yards Algae Sciences’ phycocyanin, which is an extract of blue-green algae and a safe, non-toxic food colorant.

Reduce Waste Chicago will be collecting an abbreviated list of items, only as listed here. Below is an overview of other items we’ll accept for donation, repurposing, or recycling—and where they'll go:

- Beer carriers, both cardboard (Made by Q) and plastic snap-on Pak Tech carriers (Whiner)
- Bicycles and old bike tire tubes (Working Bikes and Bikes ‘n Roses)
- Books, games, and puzzles, gently used (Back of the Yards branch of the Chicago Public Library)
- Chairs and small tables (New Life Centers)
- Computers and old technology, only as listed here (PCs for People)
- Contact lens cases and packaging, any brand (TerraCycle)
- Crayons, any brand/condition (SCARCE, Crayon Initiative)
- Dental product packaging, such as toothpaste tubes/caps, toothbrushes, floss containers; any brand (TerraCycle)
- Deodorant containers & caps, any brand (TerraCycle)
- Eyeglasses, usable; no sunglasses or cases (Lions Club, OneSight)
- Face masks, disposable only (TerraCycle)
- Gym shoes past their useful life (GotSneakers)
- Jars, wide-mouth Ball or Kerr jars & lids (Tinyshop) 
- Keys, metal only; no key chains (sold as scrap)
- Kitchenware such as pots, pans, cups, plates, utensils, etc. for migrant families (New Life Centers)
- Office, art, and school supplies, and similar materials per the Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange’s Most Wanted list
- Packing materials, only as listed here (EcoShip)
- Plastic pots from Lush Cosmetics, black only (Tinyshop)
- Towels and sheets, to keep the sweet canines and felines cozy while they await their forever homes; pet supplies and food as listed on this wish list are also greatly appreciated (PAWS Chicago) 
- Yarn, fabric scraps or rags, and clothing beyond repair to be used for crafting (Envision Unlimited)

We also appreciate donations of the following new, in-package items to share with our neighbors:

- Food, fresh, unexpired food for humans and pets! (Love Fridge; see donation guidelines here)
- Personal care and household products, such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. (Back of the Yards branch of the Chicago Public Library, which houses a cart for folks to take what they need)

And since you’ve read this far, you’re clearly a waste-reduction enthusiast! Sign up for a volunteer shift and help us make this event fantastic!"