Inside Seminole County’s ReUse Shop

You never quite know what you’ll find lining the shelves of Seminole County’s ReUse Shop. A can of wood stain used for just one project. Weed spray someone no longer needed. Granite sealer left over from a countertop job. Or gas cans that were taking up space in a garage but can now be used by somebody else.

Tucked inside the county’s Household Hazardous Waste Tunnel at the Central Transfer Station in Longwood, the ReUse Shop gives new life to household products that have been discarded. Items dropped off in good condition find their way to the shop’s shelves for residents to take home at no cost.

“We started it because we wanted to find a win for everyone,” says Adeemir Dacenay, recycling coordinator for Seminole County. “The ReUse Shop allows us to give items another life prior to final disposal.”

Adeemir has seen the ReUse Shop evolve since it first opened. Today, materials are organized by type on designated shelves, with ADA-accessible pathways making it easier for residents to browse.

Residents can take up to 15 items per day, with a limit of five of any one item, after signing a recipient agreement and liability waiver.

From January through August 2026, nearly 800 visitors took home more than 6,400 items, saving residents an estimated $100,000 and diverting roughly 13,500 pounds of material from going to waste. Among the most popular items are paints and coatings, household cleaners, and aerosols.

“It’s keeping costs down for the county and, ultimately, residents. Disposing of household waste can become costly,” says Adeemir. “Each item in good condition that finds a new home means savings for us and for residents.”

At the Household Hazardous Waste Tunnel, residents can drop off items such as electronics, batteries and propane, automotive fluids, and household chemicals that require processing and proper disposal. Signs inside the tunnel clearly mark where different materials should go. Not everything that comes through can be put back on a shelf for reuse, though.

The ReUse Shop and Household Hazardous Waste Tunnel are part of Seminole County’s broader efforts to reduce waste and encourage responsible recycling. In 2025, residents recycled more than 21,000 tons of material through the residential recycling program, up from approximately 18,500 tons in 2023. During that time, the county’s residential recycling rate increased from 11.7 percent to 13.6 percent.

That progress comes at a fitting time, with America Recycles Day on November 15 highlighting the different ways residents can help reduce waste – from giving usable items another life to recycling correctly.

For Adeemir, keeping that momentum going means continuing to give residents the tools and information to make recycling part of their routines.

“Seminole County residents have shown that they care for the resources and spaces around them. Recycling is just one of the ways we do that,” says Adeemir. “By providing education, events, and disposal options, we can continue to work toward maintaining the resources we have around us. It’s that desire that makes recycling the natural choice.”

The ReUse Shop is open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information on the county’s recycling program, visit SeminoleCountyFL.gov/Recycling.

Ashleigh Riggio is the Public Communications Specialist for Seminole County’s Office of Communications.