Organized A to Z Blog

How To Recycle Items that Clutter Your Space

February 4, 2009

February is “Go Green” month at Organized A to Z, and we are encouraging you to find ways to conduct your daily activities in a more eco-friendly way. Organizing your home or office is more than just finding a place for everything you have. It’s also about recognizing ways to reduce consumption by knowing what you already have available and using your space in a more efficient way. By cleaning out the things you no longer need or want, you can increase the amount of space you have for the things that you need.

Sometime people collect clutter because, even though they don’t need some of the things around their house, the items are still in good condition and perfectly usable, and they don’t want to throw them out. Or, they might keep items that don’t work because they are just not sure how to dispose of them properly.

The EPA estimates that 75 percent of our waste is recyclable! Professional organizers are trained to help our clients find ways to recycle and/or safely dispose those items. Here are some suggestions and resources that you will find helpful to do just that:

Electronics - The Web site Earth911.com is full of tips and guidelines to help you recycle things such as cell phones, radios, TVs, computers, video games, MP3 players, and telephones. In fact, many manufacturers will accept and process their electronic brands for free, and some retail stores also make it easy and inexpensive to recycle.

One note – if you recycle your computer, make sure to scrub that hard drive or find a recycler that will do that for you. You don’t want to give away valauble personal data!

Household items – Some household items, like batteries or CFLs, contain dangerous materials and should not be thrown in a landfill. Enter your zip code at Earth911.com for a list of recycling centers and retail stores taht wil accept these items for recycling. Also watch your local newspapers for a community-sponsored “hazardous materials” disposal day. You can bring your old bottles of household cleaners to these events to guarantee safe disposal.

Automotive - Garages are notorious for being areas that collect unusable “junk.” You probably all know someone who uses the garage as a storage area rather than a place to park their vehicles. For those that change their own oil, used oil can be a huge inconvenience. Look for places that accept used oil for recycling. You might check with your local mechanics shop, as many heat their businesses with used oil. Old car batteries are also a nuisance. Many retailers will accept the used “core” when you purchase a new battery, and many automotive repair shops and recycling centers will also accept them. Be sure to wear gloves and protective eyeware when handling them.

What are your suggestions for disposing of items that shouldn’t be thrown in the trash? Throughout this whole month of February, we would love to collect your recycling ideas and suggestions post them for other readers. Contribute by leaving a comment on this blog post.

Organized A to Z will continue to post about eco-friendly organizing throughout February, and we are continuing to add “green” items to our product line. Look for the “Eco-Friendly” category on our Web site.

Filed under: Green Organizing,Home Management,Office