7 Places To Lighten the Load And Donate Your Clutter

Like many, this is the time of year that we do a lot of sorting: socks, photos, receipts and yes, storage. We spent a good amount of time sorting this weekend and lightened the load considerably. If you're in the same boat, jump below for where to take the stuff you're deciding not to keep:

1. Thrift Stores: for common household items, we normally do a drop off at the Goodwill, Salvation Army or Out of the Closet. As long as stuff is working and clothes aren't filthy they'll take a wide variety of stuff.
2. Toxic Stuff: for old fertilizers, batteries, paint and chemicals you need to dispose of them properly, so take them to a special sites that deal with exactly that and then see if you can avoid purchasing more toxins.
3. Towels: these are one of 10 items that Animal Shelters can use.
4. Electronics can be recycled at the same or you can check out these places.
5. 29 Day Challenge: If you have more than clutter there might be a way to gift it to others. We aren't encouraging gifts of clutter obviously, but maybe you have a backpack someone else might need or extra plants tha a friend would really enjoy.
6. Craigslist: you can post a free ad and then leave stuff outside (this has worked well for us, stuff is gone within hours). Or you can try your hand at making some cash and sell more valuable items. This doesn't get the stuff out of the house as quickly but the pocket change makes up for it.
7. Freecycle: this is a great place to find people in your neighborhood looking for a fridge or a sewing machine or a box of sweaters. It's a neighborhood bulletin board that posts items available and items for offer. Especially this time of year, it gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling to be able to help people out if we have something extra that other need.

Where do you donate your stuff?

Comments (11)

I had really bad experience with the Salvation Army in LA when it comes to furniture...i had a truck come out and they wouldn't take anything(they were really nice pieces too - in very good shape) It was a waste of their time and mine.

I know someone who also had a bad experience with the Salvation Army. She packed up a bunch of (nice) things and brought them to the store, and the worker said "We're not gonna take your JUNK!" and turned her away.

I've also had a lot of luck lending, selling, and giving away unneeded items on Neighborgoods (http://neighborgoods.net/)

Just last night I got rid of a dresser, and subsequently a jute rug from West Elm--both offered free on craigslist. It worked well for me, and I think for the recipients too. We also make frequent trips to local thrift stores. An obvious benefit is that we're constantly finding new space and light in our place.

I use freecycle a lot to donate to others. I've found people who want all sorts of things like old magazines, cookbooks, garden tools, kitchenware, divisions of plants and coats. Many of the people who take stuff are working for grass roots organizations like community gardens and meal programs. It's great, and helps people who need it.

There are some other ways to find out how to get rid of toxic chemicals. Look on your city's website for household hazardous waste events, look online at www.earth911.org or call the U.S. Environmental Recycling hotline at 877-327-8491.

Leaving a box next to your trash cans works too.

In my apartment building, there's a nook just on the way to the garbage and recycling bins for residents to put unwanted furniture and goods. Some of it should have kept going straight to the dumpster, but sometimes there are some good pieces.

I've just discovered a wonderful thing. Charities put plastic bags through doors here and then they come back a few days later and collect the bag - full or empty :-) It's great. Whenever I get one for a charity I want to support (and that I trust - we've had problems with fake charities collecting things to sell privately) I use it as a prompt to sort out a bag of stuff.

I also use FreeCycle and sometimes get around to dropping things off at charity shops too, but here they tend to always be in awkward places that you can't drive to easily and that makes it hard to drop off a lot of stuff.

chusmabilly,

most major cities won't allow you to throw anything away that isn't bagged and in a closed trash can (aside from bulk removal, which is by appointment anyway). here in DC, it's a $75 fine for anything sitting outside a trash can. check with your local jurisdiction before doing this so you don't get slapped with a fine!

but yeah, freecycle and the free craiglist category are great.

I've found the best way to deal with established donation groups, that have stores (like Salvation Army, Goodwill), is to give them pictures of the items. If they want them, we arrange for pick-up, if they don't want them I opt for the Freecycle route.