Sources for materials

Here is a list of places in Boulder where you can find inexpensive and/or recycled materials. I’m happy to update it if you have new information!

Resource Central

We accept and resell a variety of donated items such as lumber, cabinetry, old doors, windows, and even tubs & sinks. While some may think of us as a salvage yard, we see ourselves as a treasure trove. Items are priced approximately 75% less than retail.

6400 Arapahoe Rd., Suite B
Boulder, CO 80303
303.419.5418
Reuse@ResourceCentral.org

Open Monday thru Saturday:
Donations: 9am – 5pm
Shopping: 9am – 5pm
Closed Sunday

Boulder County Recycling Center

Always has huge bins of flattened cardboard boxes, office paper etc. Technically you shouldn’t pull stuff out of their bins, but the site is unmanned. 1901 63rd Street in Boulder, 24 hours and seven days per week.

Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM)

Costs $3 to get in and drop off materials, with an upcharge for electronics. They have bins of block styrofoam, durable plastics, old books, wires, etc. 6400 Arapahoe Rd in Boulder, and is co-located with Resource Central.

Hazardous Materials Management Facility

Wednesday – Saturday 8:30 A.M.–4 P.M. Located behind, west, of the Boulder County Recycling Center follow signs to HMMF facility. 1901 63rd St, Boulder, CO 80301. Free reusable products are available during open hours, including:

  • Auto and hobby products
  • Garden and yard products
  • Home maintenance and cleaning products
  • Latex Paint
  • Oil-based Paint

Colorado Plastic Products

“Colorado Plastic Products is a full-service wholesale distributor of plastic sheet, rod, and tube. We sell to wholesale and retail customers, while offering our material to be cut-to-size in shop. We are also a custom fabricator of sheet, rod and tube plastic for all industries and market segments.” There is a free scrap bin out behind the shop that changes every day. Also a discount bin inside the shop and a 4th Friday Half-Price Plastic Remnant Sale.

Open daily Monday – Friday
8:00am – 5:00pm MST

500 S. Arthur Ave.
Louisville, CO 80027

Launchpoint in ITLL

LaunchPoint is the student-staffed information hub for all your ITLL needs. Located on the top floor of the ITLL (near the 3D Printers by the southern staircase), LaunchPoint is the place to get your questions about resources answered. Has free parts and materials recycled from other student projects: wood, plastic, metal, nuts and bolts, wire, motors, sensors.

Art Parts

Art Parts is a non-profit creative reuse center in the heart of Boulder, Colorado.
We accept donations of unwanted and surplus creative materials and offer them to the community at deeply discounted prices. Shop our retail store for affordable arts and craft supplies: fabric, yarn, paints, tools, beads, glass.

Monday – Saturday 10 – 6, Sunday 12- 5

3080 Valmont Road
Boulder, CO 80301
(720) 379-5328

Repurposed Materials

A warehouse chain with a Denver yard: 13505 E 112th Ave, Brighton, CO. Dedicated to upcycling. Wide assortment of materials: steel, webbing, fabric, wood, rope, 55 gal drums, vinyl flooring and more.

Greenwood Wildlife Thrift Shop and Consignment Gallery

A straight-up thrift store. Shopping: Wednesdays thru Saturdays 11am – 5pm, Sundays 12pm – 4pm. 3600 Arapahoe ave boulder, co 80303. 303-245-0800.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store

1701 33rd St, Boulder, CO 80301. 10 am – 6 pm every day.

Goodwill Boulder Store

Good selection of clothes and housewares. 2486 Baseline Rd, Boulder, CO 80305, in the Base-Mar shopping Center. 9 am -9 pm every day, except Sunday closes at 7.

A1 Auto Salvage

Boulder doesn’t have any automobile junkyards, unfortunately. This is the closest one: 40 Gay St, Longmont, CO 80501. 8 am – 5 pm M-R. (303) 772-1520. No website.

 

Additional fabrication facilities

If the ITLL, Idea Forge and BTU aren’t working for you, here are some other possibilities:

Tinkermill

TinkerMill is the largest makerspace in Colorado and the surrounding Rocky Mountain region. It’s a place where like-minded people interested in art, technology, science and business can collaborate on creative projects, share tools, learn, teach, make things, prototype new ideas, products and services, start ventures, meet new people and share knowledge.

Building 61at the Boulder Public Library

  • Reopening in Feb 2023 Open Studio hours: 2:45PM – 6:45PM on most Tuesdays and Wednesdays. No Registration Required. 3D Printers, Sewing Machines, Electronics bench, Design Laptops, Vinyl Cutter, and more are available for use at this time. 1001Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder.
  • Woodshop Equipment, the Shopbot CNC Machine, Screen Printing Equipment, and Laser Cutters require online registration for access. See individual events on our calendar for details.

Resource Central tool library

6400 Arapahoe Rd., Suite B, Boulder, CO 80303. Monday – Saturday 9 am – 5 pm. Membership: $25 per year. Allows checkout of a wide assortment of tools:

  • Automotive
  • Concrete and Masonry
  • Construction and Renovation
  • Electrical
  • Gardening and Landscaping
  • Painting and Drywall
  • Plumbing
  • Tiling
  • Woodworking
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