Garages so full of junk that there’s no space for your car (or anything else). Bedroom closets crammed to the point that you can’t find a thing to wear (except your old prom gown). Kids’ toys that seem to reproduce overnight. Most of us have too much stuff. So how do you get rid of it all without digging your own landfill? Here are some ideas, from A to Z.
Apple cores
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we could compost more than 30 percent of what we throw in the trash. That would keep yard waste and food scraps out of landfills, where they take up space and release potent methane greenhouse gas. You can add brown (leaves, branches), green (veggie and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, grass) and water (needed for the decaying process) to your own compost pile in your yard or use one of many composting gizmos (some with live worms to help the process along). If you don’t have outdoor space for compost, collect it for a mobile composting business or use a community pile. Many municipalities’ trash-and-recycling pickup crews now collect compost, too.
Books
Donate to your local public library, a neighborhood Little Free Library or to Operation Paperback, which gives free books to active-duty military personnel, veterans and their families. The American Library Association’s website lists several more options and tips, including how to handle e-books and magazines and how to donate to prison libraries.
Clothes
You may be able to make a little cash by selling or consigning not-too-old brand-name clothing, but older worn pieces may be best donated to a charity such as Goodwill. Still, know that many items end up in landfills.
If you want to donate good-quality clothing in a way that helps your community, look into giving it to local domestic abuse shelters, homeless centers or Dress for Success, an international organization that helps women achieve financial independence.
Diapers
No, not used ones! Whether your wee ones have just been potty-trained or have graduated to a larger size, their unused diapers are welcome at local diaper banks. To find one, head to NationalDiaperBankNetwork.org.
Electronics
When your gadgets become obsolete and worthless, don’t just trash them. Most contain a nightmarish mix of hazardous chemicals: lead, mercury, lithium, cadmium and even-more-terrible-sounding materials that, if not handled properly, can pollute the Earth or harm people.
If a device is still in good working condition, you can give it to a friend or family member or donate it to a school, Goodwill or another charitable organization. You can also try to sell it yourself on eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and Gazelle or similar websites. Some manufacturers and retailers let you trade in working, but unwanted, electronics for gift cards, cash or credit toward purchases.
There are two main voluntary certification programs for U.S. companies that recycle electronics: e-Stewards.org and SERI. The requirements for e-Stewards certification are more stringent than those for SERI, most notably on the issue of preventing exports to developing countries. At e-Stewards.org, you can search its database for drop-off points for certified companies. They include most Best Buy and Staples stores.
Furniture
Here are a couple of options:
- Sell it. If you have relatively new brand-name pieces, hawking them on Facebook Marketplace or your neighborhood electronic mailing list can be a good bet. There are also consignment and auction stores that accept high-end new, vintage and antique pieces. But, like consumers in general, they’re less interested in an antique dark wood china cabinet than a sleek 1950s dresser or a mod 1960s lamp.
- Donate it. Don’t want the hassle or the usually low returns of selling furniture? Take a tax deduction. Many charities accept furniture donations, but you’ll often have to haul the stuff there yourself. If you have a fair amount of giveaways, Goodwill and local charity thrift shops may also accept (and haul away) furnishings.
Glasses
Give old specs new life via the Lions Clubs International’s LERC (Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centers), which accept glasses at drop-off locations in many U.S. cities and via mail. The Lions Club refurbishes donations and repurposes them for those in need.
Hazardous waste
Most of us hang on to household hazardous waste — paint, solvents, motor oil, herbicides, pesticides, pool chemicals, automotive chemicals, drain cleaners, batteries and more — because we don’t know how to dispose of it properly. The EPA estimates that the average household has amassed 100 pounds of it. Click here for our advice on what to do with it.
Instruments
Sure, you gave up the tuba after high school, but it’s still hanging out in your attic. Put it or other musical instruments back to work in schools via HungryForMusic.org, which donates to classrooms across the world.
Junk in general
You can shuffle off a lot of detritus quickly either by hiring a dumpster company (be sure to secure the permitting if you need to park it on a public street) or a junk hauler. Some companies sell bins for trash and waste disposal via home improvement stores, too.
Kids’ clothes
Trade hand-me-downs with friends and neighbors, or sell them via your neighborhood electronic mailing list. For high-quality ones, go through a kiddo consignment store.
Loads of stuff
You’d be amazed that you can easily get rid of stuff by simply leaving it on the curb or listing it as a free pickup on Freecycle.org, BuyNothingProject.org or Craigslist.org. These sites are particularly good for unloading moving boxes, party decorations and other things that are expensive to buy but only useful for a short time.
Maternity clothes
Most shelters and pregnancy centers gratefully accept gently used maternity clothing. Search the web for “donate maternity clothing” to find a charity near you.
New (or newish) defective purchases
When you buy a computer, stove, ceiling fan or robot vacuum, you expect that it will do its job for a reasonable amount of time. So it’s frustrating when a badly made part, design flaw or other problem turns what first seemed like the perfect purchase into a headache or a waste of money.
Many consumers who buy defective merchandise hear the same thing from retailers and manufacturers: “Too bad, you’ll have to pay for a fix or buy something else.” But because consumer-protection laws entitle you to receive defect-free products, you have many paths to satisfaction. Start by insisting that the store exchange a recently purchased item for something else.
Old sporting goods
Forgotten tennis rackets, dusty stationary bikes, neglected snowboards: Whatever workout or sport you’re blowing off, there’s a market for the equipment you aren’t using anymore — provided it’s in good shape. You can off-load smaller items online via eBay. For larger things try Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace or a neighborhood message board. Play It Again Sports operates sporting goods consignment stores.
Party dresses
Donate gently used prom, cocktail and bridesmaid frocks to Becca’s Closet, a charity that gives party wear to economically disadvantaged high school girls.
Quinoa and other nonperishable food
Seek out local food banks. FeedingAmerica.org lists hundreds. Many places of worship host blessing boxes for food donations, too.
Roses and other plants
If you’re moving, downsizing or turning your lawn into a Zen rock garden, don’t just uproot everything. Try to gift houseplants to neighbors. For larger trees or perennial flowers that you think have value, contact your local Master Gardener program (check with your local government’s cooperative extension service), which should either have takers or know local organizations or public gardens open to new growth.
Swappable stuff
Whether you have a library’s worth of novels, dozens of pairs of shoes you aren’t wearing or tons of baby clothes, hosting a swap party can be a sociable way to unload stuff and catch up with friends. Send out invites a few weeks in advance and give guests guidance. (For example: “Please bring no more than 10 items of wearable clothing.”) Serve snacks, then donate leftover items to charity.
Toys
Visit ToysForTots.org to find drop-off spots to donate new or like-new toys.
Unused toiletries
Homeless shelters and centers for domestic abuse victims accept unopened shower gel, soap and cosmetics, including those little shampoo bottles from hotels.
Vases
Don’t let containers from flower deliveries pile up: They’re just glass and take up a lot of space. Give them back to the florist or to a thrift shop. (Most municipal waste-handling centers won’t recycle glass unless it’s a bottle or jar.)
Windows and window treatments
Take blinds, shutters and even your old window frames to your local Habitat for Humanity office. It will use them in projects or sell them at one of the organization’s many building materials stores nationwide.
Xmas decorations
Holiday decorations, particularly those in good shape or unusual vintage items, are in high demand in the fall at most charity shops and thrift stores. Check with your local donation center for what it will accept.
Yard sales
Advertise on social media, Craigslist, on neighborhood boards and with throwback signs. Consider persuading your neighbors to host sales, too. The block-party appeal makes it more enjoyable and draws bigger crowds of spenders and browsers. Most pros recommend not pricing items and just bargaining with wannabe buyers.
Zillions of cups
Aunt Ethel left you her china, but you prefer eating on less fussy plates. Off-load it for extra cash via Replacements.com, a national buyer and seller of new and vintage patterns.
Kevin Brasler is the executive editor of Washington Consumers’ Checkbook and Checkbook.org, a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. It is supported by consumers and takes no money from the service providers it evaluates. Until Nov. 5, Washington Post readers can access all of Checkbook’s advice and ratings free at Checkbook.org/WashingtonPost/save.
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