5 Places To Donate Your Old Tools And Cut Down On Workspace Clutter

Part of the fun of being a homeowner is amassing a wealth of tools to store in the garage. Between power tools, hand tools, and outdoor power equipment, a garage's storage capacity can be reached pretty quickly in a short amount of time. That can be especially true if you have a hobby like auto repair or woodworking. And while storage totes and wall storage systems can save space, at the end of the day a workspace only has so much room.

One way to reduce workspace clutter is to donate your old tools. Sometimes you'll upgrade from a small, affordable cordless drill to something with a little more power; Other reasons for donation might be that you purchased a unitasker and have no need for it, or you're moving to a smaller space and need more room. Regardless of why, donation is a satisfying way to reduce the clutter in your garage while simultaneously helping out someone in need. It certainly beats adding to the nearly 300 million tons of waste generated by Americans annually.

We've assembled this list of five places to donate your old tools and cut down on workspace clutter to help you find reputable places that provide that service. Some of these places are charities; Others are community resources or thrift stores that benefit local services. Most of these places are available in major cities across the country, and many provide a tax benefit in exchange for your donation.

Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has long been an institution that is known for helping folks build, repair, and finance their homes. That doesn't cover the massive scope of Habitat for Humanity, however; The group also helps revitalize underserved neighborhoods, helps older adults improve their homes, and provides disaster response in the United States and in countries around the globe.

Habitat for Humanity also runs the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a home improvement store that's probably different from any you've ever visited. The best way to think of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore is as a cross between a thrift store and Home Depot. The ReStore resells materials to build and repair homes, as well as furniture, appliances, and other items that fill those homes. When my wife and I purchased our home and didn't have much extra money, ReStore helped us turn our foreclosure house into a wonderful living space with very little investment — tools, hardware, furniture, and even replacement doors and tile were all available at a steep discount from retail prices. Those lower prices allowed us to stretch our investment and take care of many of the issues in our new home.

Habitat for Humanity ReStores accept smaller donations in-store and larger ones via pickup, but it's best to call ahead to see if your donations are needed, as stock is constantly fluctuating. You can find your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore on Habitat.org.

Earth 911 was founded in Arizona in the early 1990s as a recycling database. Since those humble beginnings, Earth 911 has grown into a full resource for those looking to educate themselves on recycling, and how we can all use a little less, reuse a little more, and make an impact on the environment together. Earth911.com offers articles on everything from choosing sustainable holiday gifts to using cordless yard tools to design landscaping that can handle stormwater runoff.

On top of an abundance of articles, podcasts, and resources dedicated to improving the relationship between website visitors and the planet, Earth 911 also maintains the largest recycling database in the United States. A handy search engine provides nearby recycling solutions as well as places that accept donations for specific items. For example, a search using the tag "tools" in the Dallas, Texas area gets users results for thrift stores, recycling facilities, and the Dallas branch of Goodwill Industries.

While Earth 911 isn't a direct donation location, it is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to find a better home for their old tools when there's no room left in their workspace. Even if you decide to simply recycle your old tools rather than donate them, at least you're keeping those tools out of a landfill.

If you're not as interested in where your tools will end up, but want to know you're doing some good, Pickup Please is an interesting option. A charity organization that will pick up gently used tools like impact wrenches as well as clothes, books, small appliances, electronics, and more, Pickup Please sells donated items to private companies via annual bids. The items go to companies, and charities including Vietnam Veterans of America, CLEAN International, Veterans' Voice of America, Teen Challenge of Southern California, and Special Olympics Texas receive cash donations. You get a tax write-off, charities get money, and your old tools are out of the workspace and, just as importantly, don't end up in a landfill. Everybody wins!

One of the advantages Pickup Please has over other donation options is its easy pickup process. You simply schedule a pickup online — often needing just 24 hours of advance notice — and leave labeled boxes and bags outside your place for donation. Drivers will take basically anything that one person can manage, and a tax deduction receipt is left after pickup. While the charity currently only provides services in 15 states in the U.S., Pickup Please says it is always looking to expand to new markets based on user feedback. So even if you aren't in an area where Pickup Please currently operates, it's worth leaving the program a note, so your area might get donation services in the future.

One of the best-known thrift store and donation center in America is Goodwill, but Goodwill Industries does far more than just sell used bowling shirts and gently used tools at super low prices. Goodwill career centers can help anyone clean up a resume, find a job, or gain skillsets for new career paths. In 2024, 2.1 million people received some form of career service from more than 650 career centers located across the country. Over 141,000 of those people found employment through Goodwill's services.

The charity's network of more than 150 local Goodwill organizations accepts donations of clothing, household goods, and electronics; They will also take those lightly used corded power tools off your hands when you upgrade to cordless tools. Those goods are collected, sorted, and sold by volunteers and employees at Goodwill Contributions. Sales in Goodwill's stores support job training and employment placement services, as well as making sure your tools can get in the hands of folks who can buy them at a lower price than retail. Goodwill stores and donation centers also offer receipts for donations, which can be used for tax deductions in some circumstances.

If you need a tool for a single job — for instance, a nail gun to install a baseboard, or a table saw to try and build cornhole boards — purchase or rental at a big box store is often the first solution that comes to mind. However, many communities have a tool-lending library, stocked with hundreds of tools for home repair, outdoor work, and more. And those tools often come into the library by way of donation.

Individual tool libraries have varying inventories, services, and costs. In my local area, the Denver Tool Library offers up over 5,000 tools for use in applications like automotive repair, electrical work, carpentry, and more. Access to those tools costs $150 a year, and the library also offers inclusive classes in woodworking, metalsmithing, and even beekeeping — I actually signed up for a tiling class while doing the research for this article! Libraries in Chicago, Vancouver, and Oakland all provide similar tool rental options and services. A quick Google search will help you find out if a tool library is available near you.

Contact your local tool library to find out what tools they might be accepting for donation. While many of these libraries are already stocked, others have specific needs — and you just may have the right tool for the job.