House Swap 2.0

Reuse Instead of Disposing

Kommunalservice Jena (KSJ) helps prevent waste and facilitates reuse. At the KSJ swap shop, used items find new owners. You can find real gems there that you’re welcome to take home for free. Why not stop by and see for yourself—the staff at Saale Betreuungswerk look forward to your visit!

Swap House at Löbstedter Straße 68

The swap shop is located on the KSJ grounds. Two large containers provide a free platform for swapping used media.

Visitor parking is available.

Exchange house

Löbstedter Straße 68
07749 Jena
Germany

Phone

03641 4989-540

Opening hours

Monday - Friday 10:00 - 17:00

©KSJ

Donating Items:

Items you no longer need but are in good condition can be donated free of charge. These include, for example:

books, magazines,
CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, vinyl records,
PC and console games,
board games, game collections, and/or puzzles,
children’s toys and/or items (strollers, bicycles, high chairs, etc.),
household goods (cutlery, dishes, glasses, cups, pans, etc.) and/or
flower pots and vases

Taking items home:

Items for personal use may be taken from the swap shop free of charge. Through the swap shop, residents have the opportunity to bring in items they no longer need to exchange. Every day, we see that particularly sought-after items—such as children’s books and toys, historical publications like old encyclopedias or cookbooks, and specialized reference books—quickly find new owners. Those interested will find a very diverse and constantly changing selection here.

Three requests to conclude:

Please do not donate (video) tapes and/or audio cassettes, as these are rarely used anymore and may have to be disposed of at a cost (see the Waste ABC).
Clothing, furniture, and electronic items are also excluded from acceptance. Please take advantage of the various initiatives in Jena.
In addition, we do not accept self-burned storage media and/or “Index” material from the Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Minors. However, CDs and DVDs do not necessarily have to be disposed of with general waste. At the recycling center at Löbstedter Straße 56, there is a separate container for free recycling of these items.

Do you have any questions? Here’s how to reach us: Tel. (03641) 4989-500 | Email: vertrieb-ksj@jena.de

Swap House 2.0 in Jena

Sustainability in Action

In 2025, a total of 85.6 metric tons of goods were donated. Of this amount , 69.3 metric tons were reused. This corresponds to a reuse rate of 78%.
Another 18% was sent for recycling (95% paper) or thermal recovery (5% residual waste). No other waste in the strict sense was generated.

Total intake amounted to 89.4 metric tons, including 3.5 metric tons of inventory carried over from 2024.

Books remain the largest product category

In terms of incoming stock, books accounted for the largest share at 45.7 metric tons (53.1%).
Books also remained the leading category in terms of outflow: 28.5 metric tons, or 41.1%.

Other major categories of goods were distributed as follows:

Porcelain and glass: 10.4 metric tons
Toys: 6.5 metric tons
Decorative items: 5.0 metric tons
Kitchenware: 4.1 metric tons

This demonstrates once again that household goods and media form the backbone of reuse.

32,962 customers in 2025

This confirms that demand for an alternative to throwing things away remains high.

Climate protection that can be measured

By reusing household goods and media, approximately 156 metric tons of CO₂ were saved in 2025. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of about 78 average passenger cars ( based on approximately 13,000 km driven and 6 liters of gasoline consumed).

Where does this figure come from?

The production of a book (300 pages) generates approximately 1.2 kg of CO₂ per kg. Household items (including vases, cutlery, and glasses) collectively save approximately 3 kg of CO₂ per kg when reused. (Sources: co2online, Öko-Institut e.V., European Environment Agency, Federal Environment Agency)

Conclusion

2025 clearly shows: Reuse works.
It saves raw materials, disposal costs, and measurable CO₂.

Every item donated counts. Thank you to everyone who participates.