Donations

We accept a wide variety of donated items. All donations are distributed to our partners, who then take responsibility for re-homing or responsibly recycling the items. 

Our current partners include The Salvation Army, RCT Toronto, PFFD Inc., and Optic Zone. 

We accept the following items for donation: 

• Clothes and accessories (no wet or smelly items, please)
• Textiles in any condition (e.g., bedding, towels, and drapes)
• Household items (e.g., kitchen items, knickknacks, and decorative items)
• Books (all kinds — textbooks, fiction, etc.)
• Art, school, and office supplies (e.g., writing materials, pencils, notebooks, and paints)
• Prescription eyeglasses (with or without a case)
• Surplus technology (e.g., computers, tablets, cell phones, printers, monitors, and TVs)
• Children’s toys and games (any condition)
• Mobility aids (e.g., canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, and prosthetics)
• DVDs, CDs, cassettes, video games, and VHS tapes

We do *not* accept the following items: 

• Large furniture (e.g., beds, dressers, couches, tables, or desks)
• Items that are wet, dirty, or smelly

Important notes:

• Textile/fabric items should be washed and placed in tied plastic bags. Smelly and/or wet items will not be accepted. 
• All breakable items should be wrapped to avoid damage.
• Kitchen/household items should be clean and free of food waste.
• If you are donating items that may contain data (e.g., smartphones, tablets, or computers), we encourage you to wipe your items and perform a factory reset prior to donation. We will not be liable for any data leaks or other incidents that occur as a result of the donation of your items. 
• All textiles (e.g., clothing, bedding, towels, and drapes) that are not fit for reuse will be responsibly recycled by The Salvation Army.
• COVID-19 regulations (e.g., masking and physical distancing) will be enforced per government guidelines. ​
• As of 2023, PFFD Inc. is only accepting prostheses, walking aids, canes, and crutches for donation. All other mobility aids (e.g., wheelchairs) donated to REmarket will be made accessible to community members in need via FreeMarket (when possible).
• All donations left over at the end of the event will be given to The Salvation Army. 

FreeMarket

FreeMarket is a place where anyone can donate and/or take items as they please. By allowing our neighbours to directly access donated items free of charge, we are both keeping usable items out of landfills and giving back to our community.

FreeMarket will be held on September 20, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. only.

We accept the following items for donation: 

• Clothes and accessories (no wet or smelly items, please)
• Reusable textiles (e.g., bedding, towels, and drapes in good condition)
• Household items (e.g., kitchen items, knickknacks, and decorative items)
• Books (all kinds — textbooks, fiction, etc.)
• Art, school, and office supplies (e.g., writing materials, pencils, notebooks, and paints)
• Prescription eyeglasses (with or without a case)
• Children’s toys and games (any condition)
• DVDs, CDs, cassettes, video games, and VHS tapes

We do *not* accept the following items: 

• Large furniture (e.g., beds, dressers, couches, tables, or desks)
• Items that are wet, dirty, or smelly
• Technology items that may contain data (e.g., cell phones, tablets, and computers; all such donated items will be directed to RCT Toronto)

Please be mindful of the following FreeMarket rules and guidelines:

• Anyone may take and/or donate as much or as little as they would like. 
• There is absolutely no charge for taking items from FreeMarket. 
• When taking items from FreeMarket, we would kindly ask that all patrons be mindful and considerate of others. We encourage you to try not to make assumptions or judgements about other FreeMarket patrons. 
• Please bring your own bag(s) for use at FreeMarket.
• We will not tolerate any disrespectful, aggressive, or offensive language or behavior. Patrons who violate this rule will be asked to leave the premises. If you notice any such behaviour, please report it to a REmarket volunteer immediately. 
• FreeMarket items are not intended for commercial resale. Commercial entities are prohibited from taking items from FreeMarket. 
• We reserve the right to enforce a maximum time limit on each patron’s visit at FreeMarket to ensure that all patrons are able to take a turn accessing the service, and this may be necessary to ensure that capacity and COVID-19 guidelines are being followed.
• Please note that masking, physical distancing, and other COVID-19 measures may be enforced. ​
• All FreeMarket donations leftover at the end of the day will be donated to our other charity partners, including The Salvation Army, RCT, and PFFD Inc.

Repair Café Toronto

Repair Café Toronto is part of a global movement aimed at building a more sustainable society and countering the throwaway mindset. Repair Café’s volunteers will work with you to try to repair fixable items, showing you useful tips and tricks along the way. 

Repair Café Toronto will accept the following items for repair (on September 21, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. only): 

• Clothing/textiles
• Jewellery 
• Small appliances
• Home electronics
• General housewares

*Please note that while volunteer fixers will do their best, successful repair of your item is not guaranteed.
*Registration for repairs ends at 2:00 p.m., but fixers will be onsite until 3:00 p.m.
*There is a limit of one item for repair per guest, although guests may be permitted to bring a second item if time permits. 
​

Recycling

As part of our mission to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills, we collect certain hard-to-recycle items to be responsibly recycled by organizations such as TerraCycle and CASE. For the recycling of office supplies, we have partnered with Staples. 

We accept the following items for recycling: 

• Used writing tools (e.g., pens, markers, and highlighters)
• Batteries
• Ink and toner cartridges
• Prescription pill bottles (empty, with the labels removed; a 10¢ donation is encouraged to cover shipping costs)
• Cosmetic containers and packaging (empty, rinsed, dried; details about what is accepted can be found here)
• Disposable razors
• Personal dental hygiene waste (e.g., used tooth brushes, empty toothpaste tubes, and floss containers; more details about what is accepted can be found here)

**Please do not drop off any other items, as they cannot be recycled by us and may pose a health hazard to our team and guests. If you do not see the item you wish to recycle on this list, please visit the Toronto Waste Wizard to determine how to safely dispose of your item. 

CultureLink Bike Hub

CultureLink Bike Hub supports local cyclists and fosters a culture of repair and reuse. They help people fix their own bicycles, and provide bike repair workshops on-site and in the neighbourhood.  

During this September 2023 REmarket, CultureLink Bike Hub will be offering the following services: 

• Safety checks
• Minor repairs
• Any other quick repairs that only take a few minutes to complete ​

CultureLink Bike Hub will be offering these services on Thursday, September 21, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. only. 

You can learn more about the Bike Hub here. 

Have any questions? 

Just email us at reduce@slna.ca, and we'll be happy to help! 

Stay connected with the Waste Reduction Group.