A Series on Getting Your Clutter Out Of The House
Think twice before throwing things away. Ask yourself, "Can anyone use this?"
Part three of our series on getting rid of clutter should be your last case scenario, although we all know that's not always the case. Upcycling, donating or selling your used items is a great way to ensure someone else finds value in them, and they don't just end up in a landfill or recycle center somewhere.
"Surely recycling is better than throwing the items away," we can hear you saying.
"Well yeah," we respond, "but neither is best."
It takes a lot of energy to turn that extra roll of laminate flooring you have sitting in the basement into bottle caps (or whatever happens in those voodoo facilities). Are you really sure a neighbor or friend or someone isn't looking for some scrap material for a project? You can save them money, you hassle, and the environment by just finding a way to swap.
But, of course, sometimes you can't find anyone who wants or needs your items. Or you're just so sick of seeing it that you aren't willing to go through the motions. So, what do you do with items the trash man won't haul away?
It depends on what you're needing to get rid of. Here's a list of common clutter, and ways to dispose of it.
1. Paint
Ah, yes. Who doesn't have cans of old, half-empty paint cans adorning their basement of garage shelves? Such a pain. Trash removal won't take them. Recycling won't take them. Who knew wet paint was some sort of grade A biohazard?
What to do with it:
Drying it out doesn't have to be as daunting as it sounds. Okay, yeah it kind of sucks. Don't think you can just take the lids off, and it will dry on its own. It won't. If you have several cans with just a little paint, you can combine them into one, and toss the now-empty ones into the recycling bin. At least you'll be downsizing if not necessarily ridding yourself of them all.
If you want to get rid of everything, a good trick is to wrap a cardboard box in a trash bag and dump the paint in to dry. Don't fill it up more than an inch or so deep at a time. Pour about an inch or less in it, let it dry, then repeat. The dried paint can then be put in the trash bin and the cans in the recycling.
Another option is to pour kitty litter into the half-full paint cans, which will absorb the liquid and dry it out. The dried out paint can then be safely disposed of with the regular trash.
2. Batteries
There is a lot of confusion floating around regarding Alkaline (single-use) batteries. Lots of companies and websites talk about how it is OK to throw them into regular waste because 1. The no longer contain mercury like they used to and 2. It is relatively expensive to recycle the materials within them.
Don't buy it
Sure, technically they aren't listed and "hazardous materials" due to the removal of mercury, but that doesn't make them safe. In Europe, recycling batteries is mandatory, and hopefully it will soon be in the U.S. as well. Many electronic stores or specialty battery stores have collection bins for alkaline batteries. It's not hard to stop off every couple months and toss your batteries.
Recharchable batteries are definitely better for the environment, but they should never be thrown away. Unlike alkaline, many states allow you to include them with regular recycling. It's still a good idea to keep all your batteries together and take them to a local collection point.
3. Electronics
Hmm. What to do with that old VCR and Nokia phone? If they still work, donate them. If not, many electronics stores have recycling programs in place. Don't toss them out with the trash, though. Like batteries, they contain heavy metals that we don't need in our landfills.
4. Building Materials
Whether brick, lumber, tile, or whatever leftover building supplies you have lying around, you can't go wrong donating it to a place like Habitat for Humanity.
5. Oil & Gas
Please, please, please don't dump your used motor oil or any chemical out onto the ground. Just because your grandpa did it doesn't mean you should. We now know how dangerous this is and how bad it is for the environment. Don't flush it either. Even filters cannot be thrown into the trash.
Check with your local auto parts store or service station to see if they accept used oil and filters. A lot of them do. When changing your oil, always store the used oil in clean, sealed containers. If you don't, the stations may not accept it and you'll have to take it to a toxic waste disposal center.
Gas isn't always as easy to get rid of, depending on where you live. You're best bet is to be proactive, and not buy more than you need. Of course, if you have old gas cans piling up, you probably don't need to hear this and are thinking to yourself, "No kidding, Sherlock."
First, you should call up your local service stations. They may accept it, they may not, but chances are they can tell you where they dispose of theirs when they need to. It may be your nearest toxic waste disposal center. If all else fails, contact your local fire department or government office. They will have all that information available.
Have clutter that wasn't mentioned in the article? Find out how to dispose of it at Earth911.com