As a 20-something living in Manhattan with two roommates, we have little space to store excess stuff. To make the most of precious space, we’re constantly ridding ourselves of knick knacks, clothes and all variety of household goods and accessories. But where to send them so that they don’t end up in a landfill? Following are some inventive ways I have found to get rid of excess stuff without being wasteful.
- Sell it. Pretty much anything can sell. Marketed with the right web-post tactics on the right website with an attractive photo, even something that seems useless to you might be a rarity to another. This is particularly useful for city-dwellers, where there are thousands of potential buyers in one dense neighborhood. Craigslist and eBay are two excellent selling sources. Some things that I have sold via Craigslist include beat up luggage, pots and pans, mini-dv tapes for an outdated video camera, and even a box of coffee sleeves (for only 5 cents, but this still kept them out of the trash).
- Swap it. It’s quite simple to find someone in a city who would like that no longer needed book, CD, or kitchen gadget, and chances are, they’ll have something you’d like in return. Multiple websites cater to the needs of those who want to swap instead of sell (and avoid payment issues with online buyers.) Swaptree.com is a personal favorite of mine.
- Salvation Army it. Whatever they don’t take, chances are there are several other organizations in your area, including used bookstores, consignment stores, Goodwill, and Habitat for Humanity, who will gladly “recycle” your little used household items, toys and even un-opened toothbrushes, to those in need.
- Sidewalk it. If you live in a neighborhood that is anywhere near as crowded as mine, hundreds of people walk down your block each day; surely one of them will snap up whatever you choose to put in their path. Creativity counts, though! Put your things curbside soon after the trash has already been collected, clearly labeled with a post-it that says “Free! Please Take Me”. I have used this method for plastic storage bins, old belts, and even a bottle of shampoo. Chances are, within minutes someone will grab your abandoned article. Score!
What inventive ways do you get rid of stuff while ensuring it doesn’t go to waste?
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December 30, 2012 at 3:50 pm
Freecycle is another option for giving stuff away. (www.freecycle.org) You sign up for your local network, which allows you to post your unwanted items and see what others need. I wanted to offload a big stack of National Geographic magazines, but couldn’t bear to send those beauties to be recycled after one reading. As a result of my posting, I was able to give some to a middle school teacher for her class, and the rest to someone who makes collages.
Earth911.org is a great website for finding local recycling centers (by zip code) for many categories of merchandise, from cars to electronics to paint.
Though there are many places to drop off old cell phones (see Earth911), some of them hold their value. Gazelle.com is one of the websites you can use to find out how much yours are worth, and get a pre-paid shipping label. Then just put them in the mail and wait for the check.
January 11, 2013 at 11:46 am
I work at a creative reuse center in Portland, OR called SCRAP where people donate things like fabric, paint, crafting materials, gift wrap, old magazines, baby food jars, bottle caps, office supplies, etc. and we sell them back to the community for super cheap. While not every community has a creative reuse center, more and more are popping up. They are a great resource for getting rid of things that could potentially be use in arts and crafts and a great resource for artists who are Eco-conscious and/or on a budget.
January 14, 2013 at 1:29 pm
Thanks so much for the additional suggestions Fredrica! Freecyle is definitely an excellent resource, especially in a big city.
And Dryden, SCRAP sounds like an excellent program to have in place. I have not heard of a broader-range program like SCRAP here in New York, but there are some similar programs. One example is Film Biz Recycling in Brooklyn (http://www.filmbizrecycling.org/) where they take old sets and props from film projects and redistribute them. It’s a great idea to reduce waste! Hopefully more organizations like SCRAP will pop up around the county.
Katherine