reharvest repair mapping tool
Material Inventory for Creative Transformation
This interactive map links places of reharvest—places of industrial and manufacturing process waste materials, second-hand shops and donation centers—with spaces, individuals and groups of transformation, artists, designers, architects and educators, fabrication labs, reuse centers, repair shops, maker spaces, and sharing hubs.
Do you have, need or already transform materials?
Interested in being part of the map?
Do you have, need or already transform materials? Interested in being part of the map?
Connect with us ! [Link for Google Form]
Why Are We Making a Map?
We are creating this map to
- document, visualize, and connect waste streams with reuse and transformation opportunities
- foster collaboration and sustainability among individuals and groups in Rhode Island and its surrounding communities
- actively encourage new exchanges between what we are calling waste transformation communities, sparking creative reuse, sustainable design, and circular economy practices.
The map is a step towards reshaping how we think about waste, shifting our focus from discard to potential.
What Is It For?
Every location on the map is a connector that generates new economic and creative possibilities. Mapping waste is about reimagining waste as an opportunity—for repair, redistribution, design, and circular innovation—where industries become part of the solution.
We intend for this tool to enable efficient material circulation, removing and reducing sections of the waste stream into landfills and fostering a culture of repair and reuse. By mapping these connections, we strengthen local economies, reduce environmental impact, and promote creative problem-solving in design, manufacturing, and beyond.
Who is it for:
This platform is designed for a diverse group of stakeholders who play a role in the waste transformation communities of Rhode Island and our surrounding neighbors. It serves individuals and groups looking to repurpose materials, community members seeking sustainable solutions, architects, designers and creatives aiming to innovate with waste. The map is also an essential resource for cities and townships, manufacturers, businesses, non-profits, and researchers working on circular economy strategies. Whether you are a repairer, designer, maker, student, or policymaker, this tool helps you locate materials, discover repair hubs, and find partners to advance reuse and sustainability efforts. We believe the need to collectively shift our thinking towards alternative methods rather than relying on conventional freshly extracted materials.
A note on being on a map: Mapping is not for everyone. If your audience is specific, capacity is limited or you hold an intentional community, you may not want to be on the map. If this is so and you still want to be part of this project and have questions, we’d love to hear from you and invite you to connect with us here [link to Contact page].
If you have materials for reharvest as an individual, industry or business:
This tool can help you share your materials and see where it can be redirected.
- You may be… a small/ medium/ large scale industry facility/ factory/ manufacturer, farmer, or business.
- We acknowledge manufacturers, farmers, and other industries that produce “waste materials,” and position you as essential partners in circular economies.
- Whether you have regular or irregular supplies of off-cuts or scraps, we invite you to share your waste materials to highlight your potential role in material production and link to avenues for reuse, redistribution, and creative transformation rather than focusing solely on waste output.
If you need materials as an individual or group :
This tool can connect you to materials for your projects.
- You may be… a creative individual like an artist, designer or architect, business or organization, an educator who needs materials.
- We believe materials can have multiple lifetimes of use and potential, and want to encourage material circulation and reuse at any and all points of the creative process.
- Whether you are an individual or group pursuing a project, we invite you to use this mapping tool to source materials.
If you transform materials:
This tool can connect more people to your existing effort.
- You may be… a reuse center, repair shop, fabrication lab, resource library, lending/ sharing center, makerspace, or a salvage/ vintage/ thrift store.
- We believe the need to highlight ways our communities already create opportunities to utilize different material waste streams and exemplify the waste transformation community.
- Whether you are an individual or group pursuing a project, we invite you to use this mapping tool to highlight your effort in the waste transformation community and circular economy.
Our Mapping Intent and Principles
The act of mapping is inherently political. We believe this map can shape perceptions of who is responsible for waste, and transform those perceptions on who has the power to change its trajectory, and how waste circulates within communities and industries. In the context of reharvest and repair, this map is about creating opportunities for participation, transparency, and sustainable innovation through relationship building.
The intent behind the mapping initiative is to create a living, interactive resource that supports sustainable material reuse and strengthens waste innovation networks in Rhode Island and surrounding communities. This tool goes beyond being a directory and is designed to activate connections, inspire creative collaborations, and enable practical material exchanges between waste producers, repairers, designers, and the broader community. By visualizing the flow of discarded materials, we can shift the narrative around waste from a linear discard model to a regenerative, circular approach, ultimately reducing landfill dependency, promoting sustainability, and fostering resilience in local industries.
- Circular Economy – The map encourages a shift from extraction-based consumption to reuse, repair, and transformation, ensuring materials remain valuable for as long as possible.
- Accessibility & Inclusion – It serves a diverse community, from individuals to large institutions, ensuring that everyone has access to waste transformation resources.
- Collaboration & Connectivity – The mapping project actively links locations of waste (industries, farmers, businesses, resource and recycle centers) with transformation spaces (fabrication labs, repair shops, creative reuse centers), fostering new partnerships.
- Changing Waste Perception – It challenges traditional notions of waste as something useless, instead positioning discarded materials as valuable resources for creative and functional reimagination.
Connect!
Do you have, need or already transform materials?
Interested in being part of the map?
Connect with us ! [Link for Google Form]