Creation Station joins LinkUp program

2005 Archived News

Amidst the rockets and the robots, the waterfalls and 'whatsits,' customers of Creation Station, located in Lynnwood, Wash., are greeted by an assortment of recycled materials perfect for arts and crafts projects for all ages.

Creation Station, an innovative crafts store and art studio, is the newest partner in King County's LinkUp program. LinkUp was created to develop partnerships to improve and expand markets for recycled materials, helping to close the recycling loop.

Creation Station sells a variety of surplus and recycled materials, including plastics (film canisters, pipette trays and bottles), paper (food labels, scrap paper and file folders) and wood (utility spools and colored sticks). The business also sells textiles (fabric scraps and yarn pieces), metals (copper wire and stainless steel cans), glass beads and tiles. Customers can purchase by the piece, by the pound or by the package.

Also available for sale are traditional craft supplies, such as paints, paper, glitter and glue sticks, for craft and school projects. Teachers, craft enthusiasts, inventors, architects, scientists and engineers – not to mention children and their parents – can be seen sifting through the varied merchandise at Creation Station.

The store secures most of its materials from regular suppliers: design firms, photo developers, medical supply houses, retail outlets and even a local dairy. About 60 percent of its retail sales consist of recycled items; the other 40 percent comes from new items such as beads, paint and chalk. Although the business is located in Snohomish County, the majority of Creation Station's recycled materials are generated in King County.

Currently, King County is focusing on six priority materials for recycling: paper, wood, metals, yard waste, food waste and electronics. Together, these materials account for 60 percent of the waste in the county's landfill. By selling surplus and recycled supplies, Creation Station is finding a second use for two of these six priority materials (wood and paper). The company is unique among LinkUp partners because it deals in an array of materials that would normally end up in the landfill.

In addition to its retail sales, Creation Station hosts birthday and craft parties in a large studio space at the rear of the store. The company also packages its own science and craft kits, made from 100 percent recycled materials. Kits vary depending on what materials are on hand. In the past, kits have focused on water play, dinosaur habitats, collage, fun with counting and more.

Creation Station (www.creationstationinc.com) has been in business for about 16 years. Upon entering its store at 19511 64th Avenue W, Lynnwood, Wash., customers can find and purchase literally tons of reasonably priced materials neatly displayed on shelves, in buckets and in barrels. They can create on-site or they can purchase materials and take them home.

The LinkUp team will work with Creation Station to help update its Web site to offer online sales, and may also assist with marketing and promotion support.

LinkUp was launched in 2000 to encourage manufacturers to incorporate more recycled materials into their products. The program, sponsored by the King County Solid Waste Division, offers free, customized technical and promotional support to selected businesses.

LinkUp works with three to five new businesses each year and is currently accepting applications. For more information about the LinkUp program, contact Kris Beatty at 206-296-3740 or visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/linkup.