by Tracie Utter CPO CPA
The key to recycling is to have a place for items to sit until they go to the recycle center. The spot has to be convenient, clean and understood by everyone who lives in your household. It can be as simple as selecting a container, labeling it and having a plan for the stuff when the container gets full.
What can be recycled? It seems like almost everything can be recycled. Click here for the basics. Tips:
- Rinse food off plastic, aluminum cans and glass
- Consider whether a piece of clothing is worthy of donating to a thrift store or should be cut up for rags
- Give technology equipment to appropriate recyclers like 2trg. They shred your hard drive which is important so that no one gets to your data and uses it inappropriately
- Donate books and magazines to the library
- Give toys to neighbors through a yard sale
- Consign furniture (FYI, you only get half their sale price)
- 50 more ideas
Were should I store recycling while it’s in my house? Try this: for a week, select several items and figure out how they can be reused by you or someone else. This will help you decide how to store it. For example:
- Accumulate items for donation in one or two spots throughout your house. Use some type of bin, box or bag to hold the items. Don’t make it complicated, use sturdy containers and select one charity for donations.
- In the kitchen, have one can for recycling and one can for garbage. Often, the issue is where to place the cans so they are convenient to use. They can be placed side-by-side on the floor, in a closet or cabinet. Line the cans with plastic bags. Use lids if your pets get in them. Here’s a creative way to use a corner cabinet, link.
- Have your kids sort through their toys and put the ones they no longer want in a bag. The bag can be stored in the bottom of their closet and added to as needed.
- The bottom line is to designate specific places in your home to accumulate recycling until it goes out the door.
How do I get it out of my house? A routine is required. Doesn’t matter whether someone comes to you or you go to them, there needs to be a plan, such as:
- Curbside service comes to your home, weekly. All you have to do is get it from your house into their container. As mentioned previously, line recycle cans with a bag. Put the bag in their container. These days, you don’t have to sort, they do that at the recycling center. In my neighborhood, I accumulate points for recycling. The points are used to make purchases, see RecycleBank.com.
- Thrift store picks up. DAV, American Council for the Blind, Veterans, Cedar Lake Lodge, Salvation Army…unless you are far away from civilization, there is some group that will come to your front door and pick up donations. Thay all have the same basic structure; they sell items through a thrift store. They will take anything that someone will buy: clothes, furniture, books, old stuff, ugly stuff, etc. Please don’t give them your trash.
- You take your kitchen recycling to a recyling center. It’s important to fit this into your routine so that the stuff doesn’t take over your car, kitchen or garage. Weekly or monthly, have a specific day that you stop by the center.
- If you live in the Louisville, KY area, here is a link to charities which will pick up vs. you delivery
Yes, recycling takes a bit more effort than throwing stuff in the trash. Your small efforts will pay off, in a big way, in time.
Utterly Organized, a team of resourceful organizers helping Louisville, KY and the surrounding areas.