Green Spring Cleaning and Recycling – Guest Post

image by tamdolloriginal

Spring fever has hit after a long winter and spring cleaning is just behind. If you are trying to be more Earth friendly, cleaning out your home and getting rid of clothing, knickknacks, and even small remodeling jobs can make you think about how your possessions may affect the Earth. Luckily, with the help of a few websites, your old stuff can help other families and not end up in a landfill.

Reduce

Reducing simply means getting rid of things that have been piling up that you no longer use. Throwing things in the trash is always an option, but not the most eco friendly of course. Better options include:

• EBay.com – Sell your possessions for extra cash knowing they are going to another home to be used and not ending up in a landfill

• Craigslist.org – Another great option for selling items, or list them in the free section so someone can simply pick it up on the curb

• The Curb – Speaking of the curb, if you have furniture or appliances, sitting them outside with a FREE sign can do wonders!

Reuse

One of the easiest ways to get rid of clutter and help the Earth at the same time is to figure out a way to reuse something that no longer works for it’s original purpose. Sometimes it’s as simple as cutting up old t-shirts to use as rags, or hand painting an old dresser to act as an entertainment center. They key to reusing is to make sure you will actually use the item for the new purpose, don’t get stuck in the habit of seeing a use in something without making the time to make it work. Some great samples:

• Plastic Bag Crafts – Thread, dresses, and more made from plastic bags

• All Free Crafts – Tons of ideas for crafts that can be made from things you already have

Recycle

Of course we all know recycling is an option, but let’s look at some items most of us have lying around that you probably didn’t know you could recycle!

• Cell Phones – With new phones coming out everyday, you probably have a couple laying around. You can drop them off at a Staples, Office Depot, or CollectiveGood.com

• Books – Local libraries and schools are always looking for donated books, or look into trading your books for new ones at websites like SwapTree.com

• Electronics – Much like cell phones, old computers, TV’s and other electronics items seem to go the way of the dinasaur faster than we can blink. You can recycle your electronics with TeamChildren.com, Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy, or All Bright Ideas