If you like a bargain, this story is for you. Need a couple of gallons of Elmers glue, a few hundred 2-by-4s, or some marble wall covering? Dozens of items like these are available free through the Minnesota Exchange program. Much of it is lightly-used building materials salvaged from landfills. The program started in the Twin Cities, but in the past two years it's spread across much of the state.

	Jim Fick is resource recovery technician for Clay County. His job is to pull salvageable material from the landfill and find people who can use it. (MPR Photo/Dan Gunderson)

Jim Fick looks for treasure among the trash. Fick, a resource recovery technician for Clay County, prowls the county demolition landfill looking for stuff that still has life. He points to some weathered sections of ceder fencing lying atop a pile of construction debris.

"If somebody is looking for a private fence or something, this is aged cedar," says Fick. "You could power wash it and it would look pretty close to brand new."

Since he started this program two years ago, Jim Fick has pulled more than 100 tons of material from the landfill. An old clawfoot bathtub, doors, and dozens of 2-by-4s are recent finds. They'll all be offered free of charge to anyone who can use them.

"We're trying to recycle our material - get the most out of our resources. As far as lumber and stuff that can be reused, why not try and reuse that resource to its fullest before it's disposed of?" says Fick. "If we don't do something about it, our kids will probably end up doing something about it."

	Thousands of tons of building material are buried in the Clay County demolition landfill each year. County officials hope to greatly reduce that amount through reuse. (MPR Photo/Dan Gunderson)

The West Central Minnesota Materials Exchange is one of a half dozen regional programs started with state grants two years ago. They all are linked to a statewide materials exchange.

Barb Nesheim, state coordinator, says the reuse of materials is starting to catch on across the state. The challenge is to convince businesses to give away - rather than throw away.

"It's really pretty cheap for us to throw things away right now," says Nesheim. "So there's not an added incentive for a company to look at things like reuse."

The materials exchange can find a home for just about anything. Buckets and barrels, office furniture, paint, or 75 gallons of Elmers glue.

Nesheim says she'd like to see material reuse become as common as recycling.

	This old clawfoot bathtub is part of the 100 tons of material salvaged from the Clay County demolition landfill in the past two years. Salvaged material is offered free to interested parties through the West Central Minnesota Materials Exchange. (MPR Photo/Dan Gunderson)

"We have a pretty good structure in the state to recycle the common items. I think if we had as extensive a system for reuse as we have for recycling, it would certainly improve things," says Nesheim.

Clay County wants to expand its reuse program. Environmental Programs Director Kathy Maher is keeping an eye out for a building that could become a warehouse for reuseable material. Maher says because there's no storage, a lot of good material is still being buried at the landfill.

She's also trying to convince businesses it makes sense to reuse.

"I think there really is a cost savings for businesses - saving on tip fees, landfill disposal fees," says Maher. "I think there's a considerable savings also acquiring material this way - free material from another business that can no longer use it."

A remodeling project at the Clay County courthouse is giving county officials a chance to practice what they preach. They've offered doors, lights, ceiling tile and marble sheets from the walls. All free for the taking.

Minnesota Materials Exchange