What if that box in your closet is worth more than you think – and someone nearby is searching for exactly what's inside?
Look around your home for a second. Art supplies you swore you'd use, leftover building materials from that one project, clothes that don't quite fit anymore, books you loved but know you won't reread. Most of us aren't holding onto this stuff because we need it – we just don't know what to do with it. In this episode of Circle Up, hosts Candice Lawton and Sam Wittchen dive into resale: one of the simplest, most accessible ways to keep materials in use and out of the landfill.
First, they visit The Resource Exchange, where Executive Director Karen Gerred shows how the nonprofit rescues everything from film-set lumber to fabric scraps, art supplies, and props – keeping them local and affordable for makers across the city. Karen also walks us through how their old-school referral list evolved into ResourcePhilly.org, a citywide platform that helps residents figure out where to donate, repair, recycle, or buy reused materials.
Then, it's off to The Head & The Hand Books, where Project Director Linda Gallant explains what circularity looks like in the world of books. Through their Book Bank program, neighbors can trade in gently used titles for store credit, refresh their shelves, and support a community bookstore instead of clicking over to Amazon.
By the end of the episode, you'll see resale differently – not as a chore or a side hustle, but as a way to give your stuff a second life while supporting the people and places that make it possible. Turns out, letting go doesn't mean throwing away.
Featured:
Karen Gerred, Executive Director of The Resource Exchange, leads Philadelphia’s creative reuse center, which rescues surplus materials from film sets, studios, businesses, and households – everything from lumber and props to fabrics and art supplies – and redistributes them locally at low cost. Learn more: theresourceexchange.org.
Linda Gallant, Project Director at The Head & The Hand and H&H Books, helps keep books in circulation through community publishing, a neighborhood bookstore, and their Book Bank program, where donated books earn store credit and find new readers. Learn more: theheadandthehand.com.
ResourcePhilly is a citywide online tool created by The Resource Exchange and Circular Philadelphia. Launched in 2025, it helps residents find where to donate, repair, recycle, buy used, rent, or borrow items across the region, making reuse simple and accessible. Explore: ResourcePhilly.org.
To learn more about the circular economy and support Circular Philadelphia’s work, visit circularphiladelphia.org.
