… so why waste a bus-worth of materials monthly?

In 2025 alone, The WasteShed has:

• Kept over 92,000 lbs - the weight of a school bus every month - of creative and educational materials out of landfill. These materials are worth an estimated $1.1 million to the community - the value of a new school bus, every month.

• Provided an average of $1,600 worth of free materials to teachers every month through our Free to Teachers section

• Served 35,000 people from the greater Chicago area and beyond with low-cost or free creative resources

• Employed 13 people and 4 interns

• Put on 59 low-cost or free creative events and workshops for the community

  We have exciting opportunities, fun plans, and enormous challenges ahead of us in 2026. We’re raising $15,000 to make this work possible.

  We need your help to keep rolling into the new year!

  The WasteShed is 65% self-supporting through sales, and we depend on grants and donations from our friends for that last 35%.

  Even a small amount can make a big difference for our ability to serve the community, so make a tax-deductible donation today!