Have you got a pile of old things sitting around your house and in your garage that you want to get rid of? Is it time to de-clutter?
If you’re looking to go a bit green about rubbish removal and get rid of your things as sustainably and responsibly as possible, then read below for some top tips.
Recycle
The first thing to consider when you’re doing some rubbish removal around the home, is recycling whatever you can. You might be surprised at what you can recycle, and also at you can’t. Most waste facilities don’t want to see plastic bags and wraps for example.
You can recycle items like batteries however; you just can’t do it at your usual curb-side pick up point. Nothing hazardous should go in your bin.
Some of the other weird and wonderful items you might look into recycling include;
- Your old sneakers (some shoe manufacturers have recycling programs)
- Your old phone
- Crayons
- Toilets (some facilities will recycle them into pavement)
- Corks (there a programs that grind them down and turn them into new things)
- CD’s
Before you throw something away, consider if you could instead recycle it. Once it’s in landfill, it could be there for thousands of years!
There are professional rubbish removal companies that will do all of the work of sorting and recycling your unwanted junk if you’d prefer not to go to all the trouble. They do all the heavy lifting and have many avenues and local connections for recycling goods responsibly.
Reuse
A great way to get rid of your old junk, without actually getting rid of it, is to reuse it. There are thousands of ideas online for creative ways to reuse old items around the home. Just about any old item can be made new again.
Have old tyres and paint cans lying around? Turn them into outdoor seating and flower pots. Old furniture can be sanded and repainted and made trendy again. Old clothes, bedding and curtains can be quilted or sewed into something new. The possibilities are endless.
You might have neighbours or friends who would be happy to take your old things and give them new life.
If not, consider breaking things down for parts. You’d be surprised how valuable old parts can be. Your indoor fan may no longer work, but the motor is still valuable!
Sell
Look into auction websites online if you’d like to make a little bit of extra cash. Just because you no longer want it, doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t! The half a paint can or old coat might be just what a buyer is looking for.
Professional rubbish removal services will also often be happy to take your old items off your hands and fix them up for reuse, or sell them if they’re in good condition. If you don’t want to go to all the trouble yourself and don’t want to send it to landfill then try out local providers.
Donate
A great method of rubbish removal is to donate! If you have large items, old clothes, old books, cookware, linens, old trinkets or anything else sitting around the house in good condition, then I guarantee you a charity would love to have it.
For large items of furniture and mattresses you can even call and ask the charity to come and pick the furniture up themselves. This can save you potentially hundreds of dollars in rubbish removal and disposal costs.
Many rubbish removal companies have relationships with local charities and will donate acceptable items to them.
Hopefully you find these tips helpful!