How to Get Rid of Your Junk Without Junking Up the Planet
8 Ways to Avoid the Landfill
As a professional organizer, I’m always encouraging people to let go of the things that no longer serve them. Declutter the junk, so you have room for what matters. I also encourage people to try to avoid sending their clutter to the landfill if they can. Here are some ways you can do that.
8 Ways to Avoid the Landfill
DONATE
Donating your belongings promotes charity within your family and community. When donating items, give with respect for and the dignity of the recipient in mind. If it’s stained, worn, or torn to the point you wouldn’t use it, don’t donate it. As a reminder, be sure to get a receipt for your donation if you itemize your taxes.SHARE WITH COMMUNITY
Connect with your family, friends, and community. Expand your reach to strangers in your community through Freecycle, Buy Nothing, Nextdoor, or the free sections of Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.GIFT TO SOMEONE
Gifting someone something that you thought was precious but it has outgrown it’s usefulness for you is a great way of passing on your treasures. For instance, I have gifted my nieces my jewelry over the years as my tastes have changed or as I have less need to dress up. A word of caution: only gift something if you think it’s something they’ll want. Don’t pawn your stuff off on someone else for them to figure out.REPURPOSE/REUSE
Use items for different purposes than they were intended. For instance, you can use an empty Kleenex box as a bin in a drawer.
Use worn clothes as lounge wear and cycle torn or stained clothes and linens down to rags.
Give items to a crafter, artisan, or handy person you know who can turn them into something else (or do it yourself).
REPAIR
Take the time to fix or mend something. YouTube is a great place to find out how to do it yourself, or you can hire someone. For instance, you don’t necessarily have to trash your favorite shoes or purse. You can use a cobbler to repair them.SELL
Estate Sale
You can set your own prices and most of your house is cleared out, but you either have to pay a fee for a professional service or spend a lot of time and effort on organizing, marketing, and facilitating the sale.Auction
You get professional help and access to their broader customer base, which helps clear out your home. Some companies or auction houses are picky with what they will sell, but online companies like MaxSold will let you sell just about anything, even cleaning supplies or tchotchkes, so you don’t need to have rare or expensive pieces to do an auction. However, you don’t get to set your own prices, and you have to pay them a fee.Buyout/Clear-Out Company
This option is great for a full-house clear out with a quick turnaround, but you get less money because they need to make a profit when they resell your items.Online Marketplaces
Use services like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, ThredUp, Chairish, or eBay. You can set your own prices, there’s a lot of customers, and there are little or no fees, but a small return may not be worth your time and effort. In some cases, there is also a concern about safety when you meet the buyer. This is a great option for getting bulky or heavy items hauled away for free.Consignment
This strategy is used for unique pieces, but consignment stores are picky and you often have to wait months or more for your money.Yard/Garage Sale
Yard sales are a lot of work with little to no profit, but it’s a great way to connect with your community.
RECYCLE
Research what gets recycled and how in your area to ensure the items you put in recycling actually get recycled. Besides your local government, there are private services you can look into, such as Trashie for recycling clothing if your local government doesn’t.COMPOST
Compost non-animal product food trash (so you don’t attract animals). You can compost even if you don’t have a yard if your locality has somewhere you can bring your compost or if you get a kitchen composter that turns your food waste into soil/fertilizer. Kitchen compost containers have come a long way in preventing things from getting really gross. You can also use a sealed container in your freezer, which prevents mold from forming.
Pro Tips
Remove things asap. Schedule a pickup or put them in your car and schedule in your calendar when you will drop them off.
For items that are expensive and included in your homeowners insurance, update your insurance company so you're not paying for coverage on them.
If you sell stuff that is registered with the government, such as a car or trailer, be sure to do the necessary paperwork before transfer of the item, such as signing a transfer of title.
Be sure to remove data from computers, tablets, and other electronics. It’s best to do a system reset. If you have super confidential information, you should consider hiring a professional to wipe things clean. It’s worth noting that even if you delete something, a person who is computer savvy can often still access it.
Related Resource: Avoid the Landfill: Disposing Your Clutter Responsibly
