Thank you for considering a donation to Finger Lakes ReUse! We accept donations of most materials in good, clean, reusable condition at our two ReUse Center locations. Our donation acceptance areas are currently open Sunday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm (closed on Thursdays). We reserve the right to turn away any donation that has the potential to pose a health risk to our volunteers, customers, or staff.
Questions? Please call (607) 257-9699 to verify acceptable items, as donation policies can change without notice based on space availability.
What We Accept
Finger Lakes ReUse accepts quality used and surplus building materials, furniture, housewares, clothing, books, media, electronics, and much more. Your donations may be tax deductible and we will provide a donation receipt for your tax purposes upon request at the donation drop off location. All items must be complete, clean, and in good usable condition.
Donations Guidelines
ALL DONATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO WORKER APPROVAL UPON ARRIVAL.
Appliances: Refrigerators, dehumidifiers, air conditioners or any appliance using freon cooling agent will be accepted for a fee of $20 (offset with a $20 coupon for use at either location). The fee is collected to cover costs if the unit must be recycled.
Books: We cannot accept moldy books, books with strong odors (smoke/mildew), broken spines, missing pages, excessive writing/highlighting, water damage, or large volume encyclopedias such as Britannica.
Building Materials: Materials must be complete, undamaged, and free of peeling/flaking paint. Lumber and wood trim must be at least 6 feet long. We do not accept irregularly cut sheet goods, countertops shorter than 12 inches, windows/cabinets/doors with missing pieces, unframed glass panes, single light window sashes, used carpet, propane tanks, tile with mortar or glue on any side, doors that are unevenly cut, painted trim, or chemicals (i.e. gasoline, automotive fluid, wood polish) of any kind except for some types of paint (see more detail below).
Computers and Peripherals: We accept computers (desktops, laptops, tablets, cell phones), computer accessories (mice, keyboards, webcams), computer monitors (CRT, LCD, LED), printers (ink or toner), copiers/fax machines, and scanners in any condition, working or not. CRT monitors must be intact, less than 27 inches, and cannot be physically cracked or broken, with plastic back in place. For Apple devices: please provide the passcode or reset to factory defaults before donating.
Electronics: We accept most home electronics, including flat-screen televisions (LCD, LED, plasma, 3D), cell phones and chargers, tablets, MP3 players, radios/boomboxes/CD players, telephones, GPS units, and microwave ovens (non-PCB) in any condition, working or not. We cannot accept CRT televisions. For Apple devices: please provide the passcode or reset to factory defaults before donating.
Furniture: We cannot accept mattresses, box springs, waterbeds, broken/incomplete furniture, items with stains/tears/odors, or plastic furniture that isn’t in excellent condition.
Household Items: We do not accept bicycle helmets with crash damage, used personal care items or chemicals, corded blinds, unframed,non-beveled mirrors, bed pillows, dirty packing materials, styrofoam, fluorescent bulbs unless they are compact and in their original packaging, or any recalled products.
Media: We do not accept empty cases, blank or unused DVDs or CDs, or electric typewriters.
Paint: Ithaca ReUse Center (214 Elmira Road) is a Paintcare drop-off site. We accept house paint, primers, stains, sealers, and clear coatings. Containers must not be leaking, empty, or missing original labels. We cannot accept paint thinners, aerosol coatings, auto/marine paints, art paints, adhesives, or industrial coatings.
Textiles: Finger Lakes ReUse can accept adult and children’s clothing, shoes, jackets, linens, blankets and all other types of textiles that are in clean and reusable condition. We cannot accept items with stains, tears, or rips, or that are wet or moldy.
Schedule a Pickup
We are currently accepting pick-up requests from businesses, educational institutions, or large residential donations, especially furniture. Click here to put in a request through out online form.
Donation Receipt Form
Save time by filling out our printable Donation Receipt Form. Enter your information and the items you are bringing to donate, print it out, and bring it with you to our Donations Intake desk with your items. This form becomes a valid tax receipt after being stamped by Finger Lakes ReUse.
* Please note that some items Finger Lakes ReUse does not accept may be donated to other nonprofit programs, or recycled or disposed of at the Tompkins County Solid Waste & Recycling Center, at 122 Commercial Ave, Ithaca. For more information on recycling or disposal in Tompkins County, call (607) 273-6632 or visit recycletompkins.org for further details.
*The Consumer Product Safety Act prohibits the selling of recalled products, and Finger Lakes ReUse makes every effort to fully comply with these regulations.