Since 2008, the Ithaca Reuse Center has been providing both economic and environmentally friendly options at their location on Triphammer Road in Lansing. In 2016, it opened a second location on Elmira Road providing more accessibility to shoppers in the Ithaca area.
The Ithaca Reuse Center allows people to bring things that they no longer want or need and give them a second chance at life.
Heather Gilles, the store manager for the Elmira Road location, explained how the Ithaca Reuse center is more unique than other thrift stores.
“I think what makes this place special is the community aspect and the mission, like the mission to keep stuff out of the landfills but also contribute to a circular economy and support our community,” Gilles said.
“We accept so much more than any other thrift store does. We accept building materials, lumber, toilets, sinks, basically anything that can fit into a house. We want to try to sell it, so it doesn’t go to waste,” Gilles added.
Economic Factors
Kendra Spangenberg is a longtime customer at the Ithaca Reuse Center. While shopping, she found an old dish set that was like the one her mother used to have.
“There are some dishes here that I thought I’d never see. My mother passed away, and I couldn’t find them, and they’re here,” Spangenberg said. “So, I’m taking great interest in coming back tomorrow and making sure that I grab them before someone else does,” she added.
Ray Millburn, is a student at Ithaca College, said that he goes to the Ithaca Reuse Center to buy old electronics that can not be found at most other places.
“I pop in here every couple of weeks because I like looking through the electronics they have,” Millburn said.
“They have a really cool assortment of old video game remotes, old blu ray players, things like that and they’re always on a really steep discount.
A significant increase in the number of tariffs placed on foreign goods over the past year has led to more shoppers coming to the Ithaca Reuse Center to try and strike a deal. According to CNBC, overall prices in the US increased by 2.9% between August 2024 and 2025.
Gilles said she has seen more people coming to the Ithaca Reuse Center to buy general everyday products that people would normally go to department stores such as Walmart or Target to buy.
“I do know that a lot of people who you know who just need to get a microwave, or just a general everyday thing that you use really can’t necessarily afford it because it’s so expensive right now,” Gilles said. “So they come here knowing that we’re going to have something of everything,” she added.
ReSet Program
Not only does the Ithaca Reuse Center serve to help the community economically and environmentally, but it also helps those in the community looking to jumpstart their careers or hop back into the job market. The ReSET program offers people the chance to start or rebound their careers.
“We give them a safe space to come where they can learn job skills,” Gillies said. They get extra support that you wouldn’t necessarily get at another job.”
Donation Process
The extra help comes in handy for the Ithaca Reuse Center. Chris Hartzell, is the lead member of the donation team, He said that the store receives hundreds of donations each day.
“Springtime to about fall time will average about 100 to max 300 [donations] on a daily basis,” Hartzell said. “Winter times are actually pretty slow. We’ll say about 100 and a quarter,” Hartzell added.
Although the large amount of donations that come in can be a lot. Hartzell said that it means a lot to all of the staff.
“We’re helping out the community,” Hartzell said. “I just like dealing with all the people and all the stuff that that comes in that’s quite interesting.”
