Aprril 22 is Earth Day. Also time for spring cleaning. Wondering what to do with unwanted "stuff"? Keep reading ...
If you need to sell it, list it on Craig's list. If not, donate it and bless someone else or recycle it. Here's how:
Is it good shape? Find a resale shop. Most resale shops take clothes, shoes, accessories, household goods, sports equipment, dishes, kitchen gadgets, toys, knick knacks, small working household appliances (NOT big TV's or computer monitor, even if they work) Click links for hours and more detailed lists.
Some things just shouldn't go in the landfill. Period. These include old medicine, cleaning chemicals, oil based paints, and weed killers. We're lucky to have a nearby Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) disposal every weekend in Naperville. Learn more at these websites:
There's another category of "stuff". Not good for the resale shop, but too good for the landfill. These items are still made of natural resources (e.g. keys, small metal pieces, lawn chairs, books) or are things that someone might be able to use (pens, blank paper, crayons, games, puzzles, yarn, glue, craft supplies, books, file folders, tools, lawn furniture .....). Here are places to get rid of of stuff that's too good to throw away:
What is a recycling extravaganza? An event, usually sponsored by a community or municipal group, where residents can bring unwanted "stuff" to be recycled. It's a "drive-thru" for recycling.
What can you recycle? Each event has its own list of items. Read the flyer for the event or go to their webpage to get the details. Typical items include:
Where to items go? Some items go to commercial recyclers (e.g. scrap metal and electronics) , and others are collected by charities, whose mission includes getting the items to people in need (e.g. eye glasses, books, bikes, garden tools, books, medical equipment, pet supplies)
How does it work? Stations are set up for each type of item. As you drive thru the parking lot, volunteers unload items at each station. Some events you drive right thru, and some get very popular, so you might get into a traffic backup. It's hard to predict. Volunteers are needed too. If you see and event, and you'd like to volunteer, contact the coordinator, or one of the charities collecting items.
When to these events occur? Most events are on Saturday mornings in the Spring and Fall. There are also some communities that have ongoing drop-off locations.
If you are looking for more information, check out these websites. It is illegal to put TV's into the landfill, it's difficult to find places to recycle them, and the information is always changing.
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