RECYCLING PART III - SELLING & DONATING

Don't just throw it out...sell it or donate it if you can!

Have you thrown any of the following items in the garbage?  

• Clothing, toys, shoes, cell phones, furniture, housewares, small appliances, decorative items, hardware, eyeglasses, keys, jeans, corks, tools, buckets, candles, crayons, etc.?
  

If so, then you may have disposed of items that had monetary value or could be donated to a worthy cause.  Why needlessly add items that may be of value to your or someone else to a landfill?  I know it takes a little more time, but it is worth it!

We discussed the basics in Recycling Part I - At Home Basics and in Recycling Part II - Oddball Items we talked about where to recycle household hazardous waste, plastics #4 and #5, e-waste, and other oddball items that did not fit into the basics category.  We mentioned that if the item was in good working order to wait for todays post: Selling and Donating Items, because if it's good, why not sell it or donate it to someone  who needs or wants it?

Selling and Donating Items
"One mans junk is another mans treasure."  I don't know who originally said that, but it couldn't be more true!  If your garbage can be useful to someone else, then please don't just throw it out!  Either sell it for some extra money or donate it!  It would be a shame to let good stuff take up space in a landfill...

Selling Your Stuff
What can you sell and where can you sell it?
Why not make some extra money if you could use it?  If you don't want the extra money, maybe your kids, grandkids, or someone else you know will appreciate and take the time to sell it.  If not, then please donate the items to a good cause.  Whatever you do, please don't just throw it out!  Below is some information about what you can sell and where.  If you are more interested in donating, scroll down to that section!

• Cell Phones and Tablets - Find an ecoATM near you!  Click on the link and look up the potential value of your device.  If it's worth something, then find a location near you.  You literally put the device in the machine, go through a quick and simple process, and instantly get cash for it!

• Books - Believe it or not you can really sell your books online.  Go to BookScouter and type in the ISBN number.  In a few seconds they will provide you with a list of all the online stores willing to purchase the book from you with the greatest amount offered at the top. Some books have no value, and some are worth more than you think, especially textbooks.  It costs nothing to ship the books either!  Simply put them in a box, print the label they provide you and ship it out!  You can usually choose to get paid by check or Paypal. 
  

• CD's, DVD's, and Games - Sell them for cash at DeCluttr (yes, they spell it like that).  Just go to the site, enter the bar code number, and see what it is worth!  Ship it for free and get paid by check!
  

• Refrigerators, Freezers, Air Conditioners, Dehumidifiers - Check with your local electric company.  My local company paid me $50 cash for my old working refrigerator and a $35 credit voucher for my old air conditioner.  Most electric companies offer the same incentives if the product is very old and wastes energy.  
  

• Ink and Toner Cartridges - This isn't really selling because you don't get cash, but Staples Ink Recycling program gives a $2 rewards coupon for every ink and toner cartridge recycled through them. The program requires you to be a rewards member and drop off the cartridges at your local Staples store.  There are many other stores that do this as well so if you are not a Staples shopper, check the stores you go to for a similar incentive program.

• E-bay and Craig's List - depending upon what you have to sell, these are options. Just be careful about how you do the transfer and who you trust. 

• Yard Sale - Who doesn't love having a yard sale?  Well, actually, a lot of people don't.  It can be a pain in the neck if you are really trying to make money doing it.  However, if you're like us and just want to have a fun day meeting and talking to a lot of very different people while getting rid of all the stuff you don't want anymore, then its AWESOME!  We don't put prices on anything.  We just lay it all out and take what people basically offer.  For us it's better than just throwing it out.  Don't forget to get a permit if it's required though! 

• Facebook Thrift Stores - You can find many different Facebook thrift stores in your area. You request membership to the page and once you're a member, you can post a picture of the item with the specific price you want (always make yourself aware of the rules or you risk being kicked off).  You then wait for people to respond.  The first responder gets dibs.  If there is no response within a certain amount of time you can 'bump' your post back to the top.  This is great for inexpensive yard-sale type items. I have even seen people give things away for free, such as trampolines and swing sets, as long as the person is willing to 'come and get it.'

Donating Your Stuff
Theres a fine line between donating and recycling...sometimes they call it recycling when it is actually a donation.  Bottom line: as long as it stays out of a landfill, who cares what it's called?

Donating Basic Items:
It' pretty common knowledge that you can donate toys, clothes, and many usable household items to several different charities such as:

• Goodwill
• The Salvation Army
• Clothing Donations (a Service of the Vietnam Veterans of America)

Most or all of them will even come and pick up directly from your home on a scheduled date.  How convenient!  Just click on one of the links for more information. Be sure to check the list of items they are willing and NOT willing to take.

But what about some of the other stuff?  Like old sneakers that aren't even worth donating!  How about stuffed animals or old video game systems?  Do you want to help children in bad situations?  Well, take a look at the list below to see what sort of 'other stuff' can be donated.  I think you might find some of them very surprising!

Donating/Recycling the Unusual:
Just click on any of the links  for more information.

• Keys - Keys For Hope - keys are recycled as metal and money is donated to charity
• Wedding Gowns - Brides Across America - these dresses go to Military Brides!
• Eye Glasses, Sunglasses, Reading Glasses - The Lion's Club Eyeglass Recycling (Or you can usually drop off at your local eye doctors office.).

• Sneakers/Running Shoes (that are so worn they cannot be donated) - Nike Reuse-a-Shoe
  
• Cork - Re Cork
• Bras (Yes, believe it or not, bras!) - The Bra Recyclers
• Pantyhose & Tights - No Nonsense Recycling
• Denim - Blue Jeans Go Green
• Holiday Lights - Holiday Light Recycling
• Hearing Aides - The Hearing Aid Foundation
• Greeting Cards - St. Jude's Greeting Card Recycling Program
• Construction Materials, Cabinets, Doors, Hardware, etc. - ReStore of Habitat for Humanity
• Crayons - National Crayon Recycle Program
• Gently Used Stuffed Animals - Project Night Night - accepts gently used stuffed animals, children books, and security blankets for homeless children.
• Video Game Systems and Games - The Get Well Gamers Foundation - they provide video game systems for sick children to play with in hospitals around the world.
•  Musical Instruments - The Mr. Hollands Opus Foundation
• Animal Leashes, Leaders, and more - The Animal Humane Society - They have a list of items they are always in need of.

What's left?
For other items, especially large ones, that you think might be worth something to someone else (swing sets, trampolines, sheds, etc.) and even other things you just don't want to be bothered selling or mailing out, make an account and post them on FreeCycle.  On this site you can find a group of people in your local area that recycle items by posting them and sharing them for FREE! The first person to respond get first dibs on scheduling a pick-up time and date.  You just leave the item out on the agreed upon date and they come and get it!  It's better than needlessly adding to a landfill.  You can also find items you might want on there rather than buying brand new!

Follow my  Selling & Donating board on Pinterest!
Also check out my Recycling board!

Coming Soon - Recycling Part IV - Repurposing Your Garbage!

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Sources:
http://www2.epa.gov/recycle
http://www.earth911.com