Recycle, Donate, or Sell Used or Unwanted Items

We all know what it’s like to receive “hand-me-down” clothing from an older friend or relative, but have you ever thought about the environmental and social benefits this kind of action can have within your broader community?  By donating or selling a wide range of used items, you can limit environmental waste and make a major impact on someone’s life.  Instead of throwing away old clothing, donate to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.  You can receive a tax deduction and provide others with affordable clothing.  Or bring your items to a consignment shop for sale.  Try shopping at Goodwill or Salvation Army—you might find something great!  You can also sell pretty much anything on Craigslist.org, which is a great way to make some extra money.  Freecycle.org is another excellent resource for giving away your unwanted items to people who can really use them.  

There are many opportunities out there for us to recycle and reuse.  Organizations like Unite For Sight collect used eyeglasses and distribute them internationally to the underprivileged with vision problems.  Dress For Success and similar organizations give your old business clothing to the unemployed for job interviews.  Turn in used ink cartridges at Staples or OfficeMax and receive a discount on your next ink purchase. Staples recycled over 17 million ink and toner cartridges last year.  Some bookstores will give you cash or store credit for your used books.  The same is true for many videogame stores.  Opportunities for you to pass on your used things to others who can make positive use out of them are all around you.  One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so let’s all do our part to try and fill our world with a lot less trash and a lot more treasure.