How to get rid of things without throwing them away

Do you ever get into that mood where you are inspired to clean out your pantry, closet, bathroom, or garage? Us too! The only problem is, most of that stuff could quickly end up in the trash or the generic “thrift store donation bag” during your clutter cleanse. Instead of throwing your stuff right into the trash, consider these fifteen ways to get rid of your things without them ending up in the trash!

Donate the items you don't need or want to keep around anymore!
  1. Recycle packaging through TerraCycle – TerraCycle is a company that offers a place for consumers to recycle many hard to dispose of products, and it’s funded by the companies that make them. Best of all, it’s free! At any given time they offer recycling services for products like contact lens blister packs, Solo® plastic cups, disposable razors and more.  Pro tip: If you collect and donate enough products you can even turn your recycling efforts into rewards for your favorite non-profit!
  2. Donate gently used bras to Free the Girls – Free the Girls is an organization which collects new or gently-used bras and donates them to women who are survivors of human trafficking, and then those women are able to sell the bras and keep the income to start a new life for themselves. In the countries where the bras are sent to, they are seen as status symbols, which in turn allows these women to sell them and turn a profit that they keep for themselves. Pro tip: You can donate to Free the Girls at any Aerie location, and in turn, you’ll receive a 15% discount on your purchase!
  3. Cut up old clothes into rags for cleaning – For clothes that are too damaged to be donated, consider cutting them up into smaller pieces for use around the house. You’ll never have to buy paper towels again!
  4. Donate office and craft supplies to local schools – Instead of throwing out the pens in your junk drawer, compile them with your miscellaneous craft supplies and donate them to a local school. Reach out to the principal or another administrator to see about where and when to bring your donations to the school.
  5. Sell your items on ThredUp, Poshmark or Declutter – If you’re lucky, there’s an opportunity to make money from the things you want to get rid of! Look into apps and websites like ThredUp, Poshmark or Declutter to sell your clothes, electronics, home items and more.
  6. Donate vases to hospitals – Visitors often bring flowers to the hospital and quickly realize they are in need of a vase! Contact a hospital in your area to see if they will accept your vases or if you’re in one of their participating cities, check out Random Acts of Flowers and donate your vases there!
  7. Give away clothes that no longer fit as hand me downs – If you have baby or kids clothes to get rid of, ask around to friends or families with young children to see if they are in need of clothing for their own children.
  8. Donate new toiletries to a local homeless shelter – We all grab hotel toiletries when we travel, but all too often they end up just collecting dust under the sink. Take your unused toiletries to your local homeless shelter for distribution to their residents.
  9. Properly dispose of prescriptions at your local pharmacy – If you’re among the 40% of people who dispose of old and unused prescriptions by flushing them down the toilet, think again! Locations of CVS and Walgreens across the country are adding drug disposal units to many stores, a much safer and more secure way to get rid of your prescriptions. If your local pharmacy doesn’t have a disposal unit, look to police departments, fire stations or local government buildings as other possibilities.
  10. Donate books to your local library – Almost every local library will accept books in good condition, and some may even pick them up from you! Contact your local library for more information.
  11. Put spoiled food into your compost bin – Instead of throwing your food scraps and spoiled food into the trash, start your own compost bin to get rid of these items. Curious about how to start one? Read more about that here.
  12. Donate towels and blankets to your local animal shelter – Dogs and cats aren’t picky about stained or out of style textiles, so bring your used towels and blankets to your local humane society! They come in very handy, especially during the cold winter months.
  13. Post items for free on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp – It’s true that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. You never know what item of yours might be of interest to someone else, so post it for free on various sites or apps before you toss it!
  14. Drop off magazines to a local laundromat – You’ll likely never want to read through a magazine more than once so instead of throwing it away, bring them to your local laundromat for others to flip through.
  15. Donate gently used shoes to Soles4Souls – Shoes can be a tough thing to donate, but luckily, two large footwear companies are both places where you can donate to Soles4Souls! Your donation through DSW or Zappos of new or gently-worn shoes are given to people in need all over the world, and DSW will even give you VIP reward points for your donation. It’s a win-win!
Repurpose your items to be useful in different and unique ways!

So there you have it, fifteen ways you can get rid of items in and around your home without them going into the trash! P.S. Are you curious why we didn’t list the tried and true thrift store donation bin as a suggestion here? While donating your old or out of style clothing to a thrift store is an ok option, the fact of the matter is only about 15% of the clothes that are donated get sold! The other 85% end up in a landfill or are sent to already saturated developing countries. Before you throw your clothes or other household items into the donation bin or the trash, consider these fifteen alternative ways to get rid of your things. Happy tidying!