What to Do With Unwanted Items During a Declutter
Most people don’t realize how many decisions come with decluttering. Until they’re in the middle of it! What do you do with those unwanted items? What should be donated, recycled, or thrown away? And where does everything actually go, especially in the Boston area?
Did you know that the average American throws away 4.5 pounds of trash a day! Think about it – there are over 318 million people in the U.S. That means we throw away 1.4 billion pounds of trash each day! Yes, I said billion! We need to take responsibility to recycle more and trash less!
So, if you have items you no longer use or love, please don’t throw them in the trash! There are numerous resources available to recycle or donate your unwanted items
Not sure where to begin with decluttering?
Decluttering is often the most time-consuming, and emotionally complex, part of any move or home reset.
Our complimentary guide walks you through what to keep, what to let go of, and how to move forward with clarity, so that the process feels manageable from the start.
How to Recycle Unwanted Items Responsibly
First, check your town or city’s website to review their recycling guide. Many towns will take a large variety of recyclables at the curb. In most areas, you can recycle plastic, glass, some metal, aluminum, paper, and cardboard at the curb or at your town recycling center. Some towns will have certain drop off days for specific items, like hazardous items and electronics. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area with single-stream recycling (SSR), all recyclable items can be put out for collection together. So, check there first to see what you can easily recycle through your town.
If your town or city does not offer recycling, or if you need to recycle something that’s not on their list, check out Earth 911; http://earth911.com/. Simply enter your zip code and the type of item you are recycling and it comes back with a list of local resources.
If anything you’re getting rid of is in good shape and useable, then donate it. If you donate items to a charity, you can take a tax deduction. Use this Valuation Guide to determine the value of the items and be sure to get a receipt from the charity: https://satruck.org/Home/DonationValueGuide.
Because there are so many resources out there, it is sometimes difficult to figure out the best place to send your unwanted items. To help you out, I’ve compiled this list of recycling and donation resources for our most frequently discarded items. Use these resources to help you get rid of things in a green way. You’ll feel good about not adding to the trash pile!
Donation Resources
Use these resources to donate unwanted items that are still in usable shape. Don’t forget to take a tax deduction!
Building Materials
Remodeled your kitchen? Replaced your windows? Demo with care and these items do not need to go into the landfill. Check online for local resources or try Habitat for Humanity.
Cell Phones
You can recycle old cell phones at electronics stores, but if they work, donate them here: Cell Phones for Soldiers
Clothing
Any clothing in good, wearable condition can be donated to these charities: Red Cross, Planet Aid, Goodwill. If you have some newer articles, try consigning them.
Formal Dresses and Wedding Gowns
Donate your prom, bridesmaids to these charities that give them to people who can’t afford to buy one: Antons Cleaners, Becca’s Closet. The Angel Gowns program takes wedding dresses and makes them into baby gowns to provide comfort for bereaved families.
Furniture, Appliances and Household Goods
If it’s something in your house, you can likely donate it to one of these charities. Call them for a pick up. Salvation Army, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, Vietnam Veterans Association.
Household linens
Blankets, pillows, towels, bedding are needed buy people who have lost their homes. The Red Cross – will take them along with clothing and shoes, too. You can also donate these items to your local animal shelter or veterinarian – call first to confirm what they will accept.
Stuffed Animals
Give your unwanted stuffed animals to a these charities and they’ll go to children who have been in an accident or lost their home. http://www.stuffedanimalsforemergencies.org/, http://www.projectsmile.org/. Project smile also takes children’s books, coloring books and crayons.
Toys
There are many resources to donate toys, check locally and try these locations: Local Shelters and Children’s Centers, Preschools and Nurseries, Church Charities, Toys “R” Us. If the toys are new, you can donate them to Toys for Tots.
Before You Donate or Toss Unwanted Items…
Not everything needs to be donated or thrown away.
Many of the items we see during decluttering projects still hold real value.
At Organizing Boston, we help clients identify what’s worth selling and can coordinate the process on your behalf so that nothing valuable is overlooked.
In many cases, the proceeds from sold items can help offset the cost of organizing services, making the entire process feel more efficient and worthwhile.
Learn more about our decluttering and organizing support
Recycling Your Unwanted Items
Here are some resources for the things that you can’t just recycle at the curb.
Batteries
While electronics stores will take lithium batteries to recycle, many won’t take alkaline batteries. Use this guide to find out where you can recycle them: Energizer.com
Broken Toys
We have resources for toy under the donation section of this list. But, if you have broken toys, you can recycle them here: https://www.secondchancetoys.org/recycle-broken-toys-terracycle
Car Seats, Strollers, High Chairs and other Baby Items
While you can donate these items if they are in good condition – take note: car seats expire and once they have expired they should no longer be used. You can donate these items to places that will disassemble them and recycle them properly. BabyEarth.com, or a Target Trade-In Event
Clothing, Linens, Textiles that are not useable
Clothing in good condition should be donated. If you have any ripped, torn, stained clothing, old linens or textiles you can try these resources: Council for Textile Recycling, Planet Aid.
Electronics (computers, phones, printers, monitors, etc.)
Big electronics stores will take many types old electronics to recycle, but some charge a fee. Check their list first. Best Buy, Staples.
Medication
Expired medication needs to be disposed of carefully. Here are some guidelines from the FDA. Most pharmacies and police stations have a bin for expired medications.
Metal
From nails to bed frames, to old pots and pans, you can recycle just about any metal item through a scrap metal recycling center. Some will even pay you for the metal. Check online for local recycling centers or use this guide to sell your scrap metal.
Plastic Bags
You cannot recycle these at the curb with other plastics. Many grocery and retail stores have a bin where you can put your bags to be recycled. If you don’t have one in your area, check out this website to find locations near you: plasticfilmrecylcing.org.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Remove the battery dispose of it at a hazardous waste disposal event or facility.
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is not easy to recycle. Use this guide to help you: http://www.wikihow.com/Recycle-Styrofoam
Televisions (CRT)
There is often a fee involved with recycling old TVs. You can find a location here: http://www.greencitizen.com/crt-tv-recycling/
Trophies
This is an unusual one, but it’s come up a lot lately, so I thought I would include it. There are places that will re-use your old trophies. Lamb Awards, Nationwide Trophy Recycling.
Or, would you rather just give something away and be done with it? Try one of these resources for giving away just about anything:
Freecycle: https://www.freecycle.org/
Craigslist: https://craigslist.org/
Facebook Marketplace: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace
Now, go ahead and declutter! You can feel good about your green disposal.
Feeling like this is more than you want to take on alone?
Decluttering, donating, recycling, selling—it’s a lot to manage, especially alongside a move or busy schedule.
Our team handles every step with care, efficiency, and discretion so that you don’t have to.
