Pondering Donating or Trashing...Your Unwanted Items May Be Reusable!

In the past couple of months, I have completed two more decluttering purges. I accumulated all items, and then divvy them up to their new home (i.e. trash, Goodwill, consignment store, etc). As I am ridding items from my apartment, I try really hard to prevent unwanted items from ending up in a landfill with researching if they could be recycled or reused. As you are mulling over items in your life and home, here are some possible locations you can donate your unwanted items:

• Unwanted Toiletries 
• Unopened travel-sized shampoos you've collected during your travels (shampoo, conditioner, lotion, shaving cream) are welcomed donation items at homeless and women shelters
• Or maybe you have decided you really don't like a face wash after you've used it a few times. Posting a photo of what you're looking to toss on social media; what you no longer want might turn out to be a friends favorite product.
• Worn-out bedding and towels
• These well-used items can take up a lot of room in your closet. The best place to give them a second life is an animal shelter or vet's office.
• Spare Hangers
• Unwanted hangers take up lot of space .If your closet is overflowing with metal ones from the dry cleaner, take them back to the cleaners--most have collection bins right inside the door.
• Spices and spice packets
• You might not notice this, but there are manufacturing codes on the bottle packaging of your store-bought spices. Most spice producers have an online feature where you can check the frseshness of your specifc container using the code. This will help you determine wheter it's time to throw out the contents and recyle the bottles. Only repurchase spices as you need them
• Cookbooks
• Are you keeping a cookbook around because you love a single recipe in it? Photocopy or photograph the recipe and donate the book to your library or favorite bookstore. The Seattle Public Library has a Cookbook Sale annually, and then also quarterly booksales throughout the year.
• Glasses
• Old glass frames, with or without prescription lenses, might be cluttering up your drawer or nightstand. If your eye doctors office doesn't participate in a recycling program, stores like Target, Walmart, PCC will gladly take them.
• Outdoor equipment
• Biking, camping, and sports equipment are bulky and likely to be quite expensive. If they are in good condition, bring them to a consignment shop. A local scouting troop might be open to donations.
• Formal Wear
• Evening gowns, tuxedos, dress shoes, and rhinestone jewelry take up tons of space and has very little everyday use. Approach the theater department at your local high school to take them off your hands.
• Framed artwork
• Is there artwork on your walls that no longer interest you? Try selling on craigslist. Contact your local library, many libraries have artwork loans where you can check out works of wart, just like books, and they accept donations to their collections.
• Product Packaging
• unless you plan on reselling certain electronics you purchase (have the original packaging increases the items worth), your product packiaging should always be recycled. Collecting cardboard is a fire hazard and takes up a lot of space unnecessarily .

Many books and DVDs were donated. Also, since I have completed digitalized all my music, their empty cases were donated. In this photo, there are also many clothes, unused board games, and empty photo albums (photos are being scanned and digitalized as well). The reality is that I spend 30 seconds on my hair routine, and so goodbye hair dryer and straightener.

Empty CD cases, a wireless keyboard that I haven't used in six years, board games (yes, I finally parted with Friends Scene It).

I received a Nespresso for Christmas, so I decluttered my Keurig and all of it's accessories. And yes, the Nespresso provides superior, convenient, on-touch coffee.

This expanded file folder held all the places I want to travel. It included maps, magazines, and brochures. All of these items have now been scanned, and are saved on a hard drive to reference on adventures.

I have begun parting with designer purses that I no longer utilize. These items were sold at a consignment, and I have utilized the money earned from them into new adventures and vacations...cha-ching!

Clothes that I was able to sell at a consignment store.

Kitchen items, empty photo albums, books, dvds (mostly TV series), clothes, and pillows.