I was speaking to a new client recently who is ready to start the decluttering process in her home, but a little anxious about how to best dispose of the clutter. I’m guessing a lot of you might be feeling the same way.
So, here are some places to release some of the clutter you might otherwise consider trash and keep it out of landfills. The best part is, they’re at or near places you may all ready be frequenting, like schools, libraries and stores.
1) Paper Retriever Bins seem to be everywhere. Paper Retriever is a program that allows schools, churches, libraries, etc collect paper for recycling and make a bit of money doing it. It was always one of the fundraisers at my kids’ school. There is an interesting fact sheet at Paper Retriever’s website which lists paper recycling facts like: recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees. Wow! A tip: Be sure to shred any confidential paperwork before recycling and bag it in brown paper sacks, stapled closed at the top or if you have a lot of shredded paper, brown paper yard waste collection bags.
The Paper Retriever Bin Locator can help you find a bin near you!
2) Target is a place most of my clients frequent. Why not drop off your recycling while you’re there? At most Targets, you’ll find recycling bins for plastic bags, glass, plastics & aluminum and MP3, Cell Phones & Ink Cartridges. Target launched these recycling stations in all of their stores in 2010. What could be easier?
3) I already knew that Best Buy accepted nearly all electronics and large appliances for recycling. The full list of items they accept is quite lengthy and can be viewed at their website. I hadn’t been in Best Buy in a while though and have to admit I was pleasantly surprised when I was greeted by this long row of recycling bins as I entered their store. There are bins for Plastic Bags, Rechargeable Batteries and Ink & Toner Cartridges. I especially appreciate though that Best Buy has bins for/is accepting some of the tougher to recycle items such as Gift Cards, CDs, DVDs and their cases, as well as Wires, Cords and Cables. Way to go Best Buy!
4) Home Depot – Though you probably don’t have a lot of Compact Fluorescent Bulb clutter sitting around, I love that Home Depot is making it easier to recycle CFL Bulbs, given how hazardous they are to the environment. There is even a short video at their website explaining the process.
Hats off to each of these companies for making recycling easier! What are your favorite spots for recycling? I’m always on the look out for new easy ways to keep released clutter out of landfills.