Image Source: Pexels

Decluttering your home can be a cathartic process, but many people don’t notice just how much waste they really have until they start going through each of their rooms. You could end up dealing with dozens of bags of electronics, batteries, lawn chemicals, cleaning supplies, and other items that are hazardous to the environment. As you are planning this project, you should think about some ways that you can clean up and straighten your home without sending too many items to the landfill.

Search For Valuables

Before you consider any other options, you might first want to sift through all of your items and see if there is anything worth selling. Even if you donate or recycle most of your belongings, there could be a few pieces that are actually quite valuable. Old smartphones, consoles, video games, movies, books, and computers can easily be sold online or to local dealers. Some companies even send you prepaid packages to ship your electronics to them.

Donate

Another great option is to offer your unused belongings to a local donation center, like Action Donation Services. In addition to household items, many of these organizations accept cars, motorcycles, RVs, boats, and other vehicles. Depending on where you live and which organizations you go through, you might even be able to use your donations as a tax write-off. Some companies also allow you to choose which non-profit is going to benefit from your donations.

Find A Hazardous Disposal Center

Many homeowners don’t realize that it is actually illegal to throw away certain household items. Even though most trash companies carefully inspect and sort all of the refuse that they receive, you could be fined if they notice any dangerous or toxic materials. Some of the materials that need to be kept out of the trash include batteries, prescription drugs, certain electronics, paint, motor oil, tires, and lawn chemicals.

Plan A Garage Sale

A large percentage of your items won’t be worth much money, but that doesn’t mean they need to go to the landfill. Scheduling a garage sale is a simple way to get rid of quite a few things in a short period of time. If you want to attract more visitors to your yard sale, then you should consider having a multi-family sale with some of your friends and neighbors. Most local magazines and newspapers offer free or affordable ad space as well.

Cleaning your home doesn’t need to be an exhausting project that results in hundreds of pounds of waste being sent to your landfill. You most likely live near dozens of different organizations that will help you get rid of your possessions in an eco-friendly manner. At the very least, you must make sure that all of the hazardous materials in your home are disposed of in a safe and legal manner.