What to do with Old Clothes, Shoes, Electronics and More

Whenever you are cleaning up and trying to get rid of stuff you don't want, the first solution you may think of is to just put it in the garbage.  This may seem like the easiest thing to do, but usually there is a better option.  Recycling is becoming easier these days and most things can be recycled rather than thrown in the garbage.  Here we will go over some of the options for getting rid of things you do not want by ways such as donation and recycling.

Clothes and Shoes - Unwanted clothes and shoes are easy to donate if they are still in good condition.  Most local thrift stores will accept them.  Examples include Good Will and Salvation Army.  Often there are also convenient collection bins set up around town for drop offs of old clothing. For items like these that are in poor condition, you can still donate them to organizations such as USAgain which recycles them and has many drop off locations.

Electronics - In the fast changing tech industry, electronics such as tvs, computers, and cell phones seem to get outdated faster than any other category.  If your device is still fairly new, you may be able to sell it on sites such as eBay or trade it in at Best Buy, but if it is older, you may want to donate it to a thrift store, or recycle it at an electronics store such as Best Buy which will accept most electronics for recycling at no charge.

Light Bulbs and Batteries -  Many local hardware stores and Public Works departments accept the CFL bulbs and batteries that should not be disposed of in the trash.  You can find your nearest drop off center with recycling websites such as Earth911.

Furniture and Large Items -  Often these items can be donated but they can be hard to transport.  In situations like this, you may want to have someone pick them up by posting about them on a website like Craigslist which has a Free section where you can post about items to give away.

Recycling Events - Keep an eye on village news for local recycling events such as paper shredding days and specific dates to drop off specialized items such as tires or hazardous materials. Events are usually found on the calendars on the local community websites.

They say one person's trash is another person's treasure so before you are going to throw something out, make sure to consider the donation and recycling options above because in most cases there is someone else who would be glad to have it!