Posted By janice on November 16, 2011

Guest post by Tim Eyre

Sometimes I sit around and fantasize about how much less cluttered my house could be if only I got rid of stuff that I don’t use and I don’t need. What’s stopping me? Well, it’s wasteful, we tell ourselves, to throw things away. So they sit and gather dust and take up closet or baseboard or shelf or cabinet space in our homes.

I’ve shared my own personal fantasy of clutter-free personal space with friends and family members. I’ve told them I’ve started recycling items that we don’t usually think of as being recycled. These items aren’t the usual plastic, paper and glass that goes on the curb. But they are commonly saved items you need to be recycling NOW! When people realize that much of what they are saving could be recycled, a light bulb goes off. The challenge is to make a list and find out how to recycle those items.

Here are nine commonly saved household items you need to be recycling and some ideas on how to accomplish that.

Books. Many local or county libraries have a “Friends of the Library” group or program that accepts used books any time of the year for their annual or semi-annual used book sales that generate money for the library. Schools and day care centers will often take used children’s books. Also, Books For Soldiers is a nonprofit based in North Carolina that has sent almost $9 million worth of care packages to U.S. troops overseas since 2008. You can send your used books, DVDs and CDs, plus this list of items to fill up the package.

Computers. The easiest way to recycle your old computer is to donate it. Call a local school or advertise online that it is free. Working computers can recycled through the National Christina Foundation, a nonprofit that provides computers to people with disabilities and HP Recycle. Also check the National Technology Recycling Project, eBay’s Rethink Initiative and TechSoup for ideas on recycling or refurbishing obsolete or non-working hardware. Also try the National Center for Electronics Recycling.

Cell phones. Office Depot, Staples and Sprint are among the stores that will take your old cell phones and used rechargeable batteries to recycle. It’s free to you. Call 1-800-8BATTERY to find out which stores take batteries.   ReCellular provides a free online data eraser so you can delete your personal information before recycling the phone.

Athletic shoes. Shoe charity Soles4Souls is the world’s largest provider of footwear to people in need. One World Running in Boulder, Colorado collects used shoes and donates them to African national teams. Nike’s “Reuse-A-Shoe” program collects worn-out athletic shoes of any brand and converts them into material for athletic court flooring.

Eyeglasses. Recycling your old eyeglasses can be the gift of sight for someone elsewhere in the world. Millions of pairs of eyeglasses go into the trash in this country every year. OneSight recycles them through drop boxes at LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Target Optical, Sunglasses Hut and other stores. Go to the website to find a drop-off location near you or to find out how to send your glasses directly. Lions Clubs International also has a mailing kit for old glasses.

Furniture. Goodwill Industries, Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and many other charities will take old, but usable, furniture off your hands for free. Goodwill and the National Kidney Foundation will also pick them up if you are unable to transport them. Don’t forget the tax receipt!

Office supplies. Office supply stores like Staples will take your used printing cartridges and offer a discount in return for returning them. But what about when you want to get rid of the whole printer, scanner, old CD burner, etc.? Call your favorite office supply store and ask but also, try The Freecycle Network, an electronic bulletin board listing free things and things wanted for free. Type in your city or town and the site is  localized for you. I checked one group near me. People were offering everything from puppies and a baker’s rack to a four-piece “Renaissance wench” costume. Others were looking for items like yard fencing and an electric carving knife.

Clothing. Goodwill, the Salvation Army, consignment stores, vintage clothing stores and many churches will take your gently used old clothing. I have friends who’ve given truly historic vintage clothing to props and costume people in movie production offices. Many charities send clothing overseas to needy people. The old-fashioned – and probably easiest – way to recycle clothing is to pass it on to siblings and children, particularly old baby clothes that can go to a relative or friend with a new baby. Young mothers form groups in their towns to pool their clothing to pass on to the new mothers in their group.

Toys. See above. Toys can be passed on through families or friends. Better check eBay, though, for anything you have that might be collectible and valuable. Goodwill takes toys and many towns and cities have a used toy store that will pay for your old toys or take them on consignment. Ecolife has a great list of where to take old toys and what kinds of toys are accepted. Maybe the easiest way to recycle toys is to put them on the curb with a sign that says “FREE! Help yourself!”

Tim Eyre is the Interactive Marketing Manager at Extra Space Storage, in charge of monitoring and improving the company’s return on investment, with specific focuses on organic rankings and local Internet marketing. Extra Space Storage is the 2nd largest self-storage operator in America with storage facilities all over the country, such as Self Storage Houston.

Because Extra Space manages more than 500,000 self-storage units across America, Tim has learned about different people’s styles of organization.

One of Tim’s biggest personal goals is to be outside as much as possible, which he can often be found doing with his family. Tim is also a self-proclaimed sports nut and likes to travel and learn about different cultures.

Categories: Guest Posts, Organizing Tips
Tags: clutter, recycling