‘As of our last study, these businesses are helping the city avoid more than 200,000 metric tons of carbon pollution’   — Becky Goyton

Denver is taking the research out of  reusability. The city’s Reuse Business Directory connects people with businesses that help shoppers save money, reduce waste, and positively impact the climate.

The directory lists about 300 “reuse and repair” businesses, with many clustered along East Colfax Avenue. “As of our last study, these businesses are helping the city avoid more than 200,000 metric tons of carbon pollution,” said Becky Goyton, a circular economy specialist with Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency (CASR). “That is equivalent to the pollution avoided by diverting 77,000 tons of material from a landfill and recycling them instead.”

To be included in the directory, businesses must prioritize reusing, renting, or repurposing items in their operating model. The online directory is searchable by location and category, such as music, antiques, comics, or repair services.

Altogether, the businesses in the Reuse Directory employ about 3,000 people and contribute more than $540 million to the city’s economy, according to a 2023 study by CASR.

Repairing is “one of the easiest ways to keep stuff out of the landfill,” Goyton said. The directory lists dozens of businesses that repair objects as varied as clocks, vacuums, tools, and furniture.

Matthew Kinslow, manager at Phone Repair and More, said his team can fix most electronics. “Our employees are tinkerers.”

Master technician Izzy Kerst repairs tablets, gaming consoles, and smartphones, among other gadgets. “I know these mean a lot to people, so we move quickly but are very, very careful,” he said.

In addition to mending “a lot of broken ports,” Phone Repair and More refurbishes cast-off phones and laptops. Kinslow said, “I grew up in a rural area, and we fixed things on the farm. That’s the mindset we bring here. And we’re getting things into the hands of people looking for something they can afford.”

At Colfax Guitar Shop, repair is also the go-to. “There’s a lot of romance to it,” said owner Christian Phillips. “An acoustic guitar can take years to open up, for the wood to recognize that it’s a guitar and not just a tree anymore.”

Not only may pre-owned guitars sound sweeter, they frequently cost less. In his shop, Phillips builds custom guitars with wood he’s gathered over time and repairs and refurbishes fretted string instruments, including acoustic and electric guitars, banjos, mandolins, and ukuleles. One of the oldest guitars he’s restored dated to the mid-1800s.

“We make them as playable and comfortable as possible,” he said. “We’re not making disposable things.”

When a guitar is past its prime, Philips still finds a use for it: Some guitars are donated as starter instruments, while the most deteriorated are given to artists to be painted as musical works of visual art.

For Taylor Woodard, owner of The Shop Outpost, the Reuse Business Directory is a way to connect with others who “don’t want to buy new.” She said, “I got into this because of concerns about climate change.” Her western mercantile stocks vintage hats, boots, clothing, home goods, and furniture.

“Clothing is one of our biggest polluters, and more than 80 percent of our furniture ends up in landfills,” she said. “If I can get everyone to buy one thing not new, I can make a bit of a difference in, and for, the world.”

Woodard welcomes buyers and sellers alike, hoping to impart “another life” to unique western items. She said, “Every little piece has a story, which is something you don’t get with new stuff. These have meaning.”

At Park Hill Treasures, another vintage-focused shop in the directory, the offerings are ever-changing, with mid-century side tables displayed near hand-crafted gnomes, Art Deco jewelry, embroidered jean jackets, and stained glass. “I love rescuing stuff and finding it a new home,” said Kate Hakala, who owns the store with Suzi Chierchie.

“I was the weird kid who wanted to reuse the gift wrap. I always wanted to reuse and repurpose because I hate waste,” Hakala said.

Occasionally, especially precious treasures are unearthed. In an auction Hakala recently managed, a valuable ticket was discovered in a box of old Colorado Rockies tickets.

“Seeing things rescued and repurposed, again and again, is very rewarding,” she said.

Front Porch photos by Christie Gosch