From fridges to beauty products, we all have items that we need to get rid of. Luckily, there’s almost always somewhere you can drop-off items to prevent them from going into landfill. With spring just around the corner, this is the time of year when many are clearing out their closets and diving into the shed to get rid of those items that have been cluttering up the house.
For many of us, we end up finding lots of things that can be re-used in one way or the other, and it’s always a great option to donate or recycle. But, we need to be considerate when deciding what to do with these items.
While the Salvos and Vinnies are great options for giving items a new life, simply dumping things outside the doors when they are closed, or else leaving items that can’t be re-sold causes great inconvenience for the stores. There are also some items they unfortunately can’t accept and they need to pay to remove these items at a great inconvenience.
If you’re finding yourself in need of getting rid of some items there are plenty of options to consider that aren’t the local op-shop.
Prams, toys, and other children’s items
Treasure Boxes is a South Australian organisation that is focussed on helping children and families with all of their basic needs. Through various programs they help to provide children everything from prams, to clothing, to even meals. They also have a ‘Boots for Boxes’ program which proves football and soccer boots for children and teens to help them stay engaged in sports, which can help their physical and mental health.
For more information visit their website here
Fridges, furniture, and other large whitegoods
It can be difficult getting rid of larger household items, which is why places like Vinnies and the Salvos are so appealing with their offers of free pick up. But, there is another option that will also make house-calls. Second Chances Furniture Warehouse will come to your home and pick up any unwanted whitegoods, large electric items, and furniture, which they then re-sell to those who are doing it tough at affordable prices. All proceeds from the warehouse go towards Second Chances SA’s various programs designed at crime prevention.
For more information visit their website here
Laptops, Mobile phones, and other small electronics
Many of us have old electronics lying around that we simply don’t know what to do with. The City of Adelaide and the University of South Australia are working together to provide people with a easy option with their Reuse and Recycle Hubs, which have now expanded to include two new locations at the North Adelaide Library and Minor Works Building Community Centre to join the original locations at Pirie Street, and the City Library. Not only do the hubs take on electronics like tablets, cords, and chargers, but they also take manys odds and ends such as light globes, batteries, and printer cartridges, which all get either re-used for people in need or get recycled.
For the full list of items accepted at the hubs click here
Clothing
Textile waste has become a big issue lately, with tonnes of clothing ending up in landfill every year. Once clothing has reached a point where it’s past repair, it can be unclear where to take them. Many companies have been stepping up to help with this, including H&M, Zara, and Country Roads accepting clothing from any company. There are also pick-up services available including Upparel who will accepted boxes of clothing up to $10kg with nearly all types of textiles accepted.
For our complete guide on where to take your old clothing click here
Beauty products
Did you know that beauty products are notoriously difficult to recycle? Global recycling giant TerraCycle has recently teamed up with numerous pharmacies and make-up brands to address this issue with companies such as Mecca, David Jones, and L’Occitane now having donation bins in their stores for your empty containers. Some companies are also offering a little something in it for you too, with Priceline Pharmacies offering a little bonus of 50 points through their sister club membership each month you donate and Jurlique offering 5% your next purchase when you bring in five or more containers.
(Nail polishes, old makeup brushes, wooden makeup pencils, like eye liners and lip liners, perfumes, aerosols, and products that aren’t completely emptied are not accepted by TerraCycle).
For more information on this, check out their website
Everything and anything
With the cost of living still causing a pinch, who wouldn’t like to make a few extra dollars? Facebook is home to numerous pages and groups for people looking to sell or donate their pre-loved items. Facebook marketplace is great for selling items easily and also includes a guide on what can be sold on the website and how to keep yourself safe while doing so. There are also many buy and sell groups that are aimed at particular areas and type of items to make finding the right buyer easier. There are also groups for people who need a bit of help that you might have the perfect item to give them a hand.
Hard-Waste collection
For those items where there are no recycling options available, there are responsible ways of disposing of them. Councils all around city and in the country offer free pick ups of hard refuge waste such as mattresses and broken furniture. These pick-ups can be booked online, with each council having their own restrictions on the size of items, how many you can put out at once, and how many free pick-ups are offered per year. Remember you can only put your items out 24 hours before they are scheduled to be picked up. Check your local council website for more information.
Of course op-shops are still great options for getting rid of items and it can really help some worthy charities, but some considerations need to be made. When dropping things of to a store, ensure that they are open and currently accepting donations. Leaving items outside the store will often result in them being damaged and the store being unable to accept them. Similarly with the donation bins, make sure the bin is not full and the items can be completely put inside.
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