SCRAP RVA: Reuse, Reinvention, and Creative Community in Richmond

At first glance, SCRAP RVA might look like a colorful treasure trove of donated odds and ends—but step inside, and it quickly becomes clear: this is much more than a reuse center. It’s a hub for creativity, education, and connection.

Powered largely by volunteers passionate about sharing their skills, SCRAP isn’t just keeping materials out of landfills—it’s building a culture of hands-on learning, artistic play, and inclusive access to the arts. With exciting plans on the horizon, including an art vending machine and regular gallery events, SCRAP RVA is proving that reuse is not only practical—it’s powerful.

We sat down with the team to learn more about SCRAP RVA’s evolution, its impact on Richmond’s creative landscape, and what’s next for this ever-expanding reuse revolution.

CultureWorks: Can you share the story behind the founding of SCRAP and how it has evolved over the years?

SCRAP: Here in Richmond, SCRAP RVA started out as Stuff Redux for a few years, then joined up with the SCRAP network in 2016 for their national support.  We have moved many times, expanding into larger and larger locations as we grew. There are 4 stores in the SCRAP network today- Richmond, Baltimore, Ann Arbor, MI and the original store is in Portland Oregon- founded in 1998 by a group of teachers that wanted to find a home for their leftover classroom supplies. At one point there were 7 SCRAP stores across the US, but 2 shut down during the pandemic- in Denton, TX and Arcata, CA and the DC area one about 7 years ago.

CultureWorks: What types of educational programs does SCRAP offer to promote sustainability and creativity in the community?

SCRAP: SCRAP RVA offers SCRAP at School programs and Teacher Training where we bring a creative reuse project and a talk about reuse. We run an After School program with City of Richmond Elementary schools. The first Monday of the month we host the Richmond Public Library's Story Time at the store. In our new space, we can finally offer Birthday Parties, Crafternoons, Camps for youth and teens, and tons of in store workshops.  Almost all of our instructors are volunteers who want to share their knowledge with the community.

CultureWorks: In what ways does SCRAP collaborate with local artists, educators, and organizations to further its mission?

SCRAP: Most educators are artists and volunteers who share their talents! We are also getting our Gallery Space up and running where we will feature local artists and have artist talks along with monthly Gallery Openings. We will also have an art vending machine starting the end of May that will feature and promote local artists. We collaborate with From the Heart, a local nonprofit that knits and crochets baby hats, etc, by taking their leftovers and yarns they can't use.

CultureWorks: How can community members get involved with SCRAP, whether through volunteering, donating materials, or participating in events?

SCRAP: Our in-store volunteer schedule is quite full at the moment, but we are always looking for volunteers to help with outside events, tabling events, and camps. We accept donations of one bag or box on Tuesdays through Fridays and ask for appointments if donations are larger than that so that we can be prepared to process them. No donations on Saturdays because the store gets crazy busy!

CultureWorks: Can you discuss the environmental benefits of creative reuse and how SCRAP contributes to waste reduction in the Richmond area?

SCRAP: Some #'s from our 2023 Fiscal Year which runs July-June:

  • 49,372 pounds of waste diverted

  • 511 Volunteer hours

  • 309 Adults served

  • 423 Kids served.

These numbers will go up exponentially with our new location and better programming! Each month we save around 3000-4000 pounds of supplies from the waste stream to put back in the hands of the community.

CultureWorks: How does the 'SCRAP at School' program integrate with local educational institutions to teach students about reuse and sustainability?

SCRAP: We have an ongoing after-school program with  Richmond City Elementary schools on Wednesdays during the school year, where we bring fun projects like CD spinners, button flowers, and pine cone owls, to name a few. We always try to match the project with the age range that we are meeting with, and have a huge library of ideas to pick from. We also have plenty of lesson plans for our Teacher Training Program. The SCRAP Network's Education Program is an amazing collection of tried and true programming across all four stores that we all share.

CultureWorks