Is your home getting cluttered with Christmas or Hanukkah gifts? It’s a great time to clean the clutter for a fresh start to the year.
Because of the health risks posed by throwing away old television sets, it’s strongly recommended consumers recycle them. Some manufacturers such as Apple will recycle old monitors and computer systems when you buy a new one. Companies such as Panasonic and Sony Electronics now participate in the Electronics Recycling Shared Responsibility program which addresses the reuse or recycling of televisions, monitors and computers.
Instead of throwing an old cell phone away, why not put it to good use? Verizon’s donation program Hopeline makes use of old cell phones to help victims of domestic violence. And Cell Phones for Soldiers helps deployed troops talk to family free of charge.
Starting off those New Year’s resolutions with a new pair of sneakers? Don’t throw away the old ones; donate them to Reuse-A-Shoe. This program uses sneaker parts to make new running tracks, basketball courts and tennis courts.
There are lots of options for getting rid of old books. You can always donate them, local libraries often have ‘friends of the library’ organizations that will take used books or you can donate them to your local schools or to Goodwill. Or, if you are an avid reader looking for more books you can swap your old ones for ones you haven’t read yet at BookMooch. (Reuters)
To make room for new clothes, you can always donate your old clothes to the Salvation Army or Goodwill. If you have a prom or bridesmaids dress, you can give it to DonateMyDress.Org, which provides dresses for girls who cannot afford them. You can also donate suits to Dress for Success which provides professional attire to disadvantaged women trying to enter the workforce.
As your children get older and grow out of their toys or get new ones, you can always donate the old ones. Organizations such as Goodwill take toys throughout the year and Toys for Tots accepts toys from October through December. (Reuters )