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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2015 16:12:34 GMT
I have the same issue kryssy! I do agree with originalvanillabean. I learned the hard way as well about trying to find the perfect place to donate, or trying to recoup money and selling smaller items on classifieds. I've decided it's best for me to throw it away or donate to 1 place. I live in a somewhat rural area and I don't have a lot of the recycling places mentioned. In the last couple of years my town finally started having basic recycling included with pickup. |
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 13, 2015 16:14:39 GMT
Sometimes items have outlived their usefulness. I would say these items fit that category and you should throw them away, no guilt necessary. Have you ever watched Hoarders? They can never get rid of anything because they feel they can find a use for it. I try to remember that when I purge! I don't want to be on the show - LOL. I totally agree! All of the items you listed can be thrown away TODAY, guilt-free! |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 13, 2015 16:19:19 GMT
Hair spray or hand sanitizer with alcohol in it might take the Sharpie off of the lunchbox. As for the games and puzzles with missing pieces, artists look for stuff like that all the time. I'd put all of them together in a box or trash bag and put it out on the curb a day or two before trash day (make sure you label it MISSING PIECES) and post it on Craigslist or Freecycle. If no one picks it up, the garbage man will. Lots of other good ideas have been posted here already.
I know what you're talking about in regard to Landfill Guilt, I hate throwing anything away if someone could use it. But honestly, if it's more work to get rid of than it's worth then that has to be considered too. My sister's MIL lived on a farm and was kind of a hoarder of sorts. When they moved, she had FOUR STACKS of 5 qt ice cream pails nested together and stacked up floor to ceiling. Multiple freezers full of old, freezer burned food. Bags and bags of Cool Whip containers and margarine tubs.
Just do the best you can and don't beat yourself up about it. At some point, it really just has to go.
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Post by marg on Aug 13, 2015 18:53:46 GMT
I have the same problem you do - so my husband is the one who takes our stuff to "donate". I ask him to drop the stuff off at Goodwill or Value Village, but in reality, a lot of it he takes to the dump or puts out for the garbage men after I've gone to work - he just doesn't tell me. I feel good about "donating" my stuff, and he's happy it's out of the house. Don't ask, don't tell.
He does the same thing with his Mom. I liken it to parents who tell their kids that their goldfish went out to sea or their dog went to a farm.
If stuff is in truly good shape I sell it on kijiji.
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Post by kryssy on Aug 13, 2015 19:57:35 GMT
I feel for you. As much as I hate to throw it away or donate, it's the better choice. Here's why. 1) It's overwhelming to go through all this stuff and it's an accomplishment to just get through it 2) You are creating more work for yourself by separating more than just trash and donate 3) Time The time it takes to list it on freecycle (sits around your home until someone picks it up, (they may not), when you could have just hauled it away. Craigslist, similar issue - meet up with them, make sure you aren't alone, find a convenient time, etc.. Just donate or trash it and be done. If you think someone "might" use it, put it in the donate pile. They sort it there into what can sell. This is supposed to make your life easier with less stuff, but you go into a tailspin trying to do the right thing because someone else might want it, a crafter might be able to re-purpose it, I paid good money for it, etc.... Ask me how I know I really need to absorb this, because it's true -- I spend who knows how much time trying to find places to donate or recycle, getting everything sorted, listing it online, etc... all because I'm trying to "do the right thing". But it's complicating and overwhelming my life, all for the tiny impact it MIGHT make on my carbon footprint... when all I'm trying to do is simplify. {sigh} Leave it to me to do everything bass-ackwards. |
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Oct 6, 2024 8:24:18 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2015 20:03:59 GMT
Most of that stuff caN be recycled...call around and see if and where....
If not sometimes things just need to go.
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Post by mlynn on Aug 13, 2015 22:25:09 GMT
Our local goodwills take electronics (including remotes) even if the items are useless. They get money for recycling them. You just need to let them know when dropping it off.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2015 23:02:09 GMT
Magic eraser will get the sharpie off. It has gotten sharpie off of a couple plastic containers for me. Not 100% off but enough that it's not super noticeable.
Check the plastic code on the tupperware and lids. Some can be recycled. Some can't.
As for electronics, Best Buy or check with your county's recycle center if you have one. Sometimes you can drop off electronics. There used to be a container at a local one that was being maintained by a local boy scout troop. They were collecting electronics to be recycled.
Most of all, don't feel bad about trashing some stuff. Just let it go.
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Post by mama2three on Aug 13, 2015 23:18:29 GMT
If you truly think there is a value to any of that, put it on Freecycle or Craigslist. See what happens. There are lots of people out there who take stuff I can't ever imagine as long as it's free. If there are no takers for things like a garbage bag full of mismatched socks, then Goodwill doesn't want it either and it's time to toss it. I get that you hate for things to end up in the landfill, but at a certain point, you can't keep holiding onto something "just in case someone might want it someday." That's how hoarding begins. Ha! The GS leader in me knows the mismatched but good condition socks make good dog toys and cat toys ( but you didn't want to hear that! We had a shelter request kids make and such toys) I also have a hard time throwing away usable items. I have been to far too many landfills for work and know garbage is a huge problem. Free cycle is great for stuff you think someone might want - if you have time to deal with it. I used it a lot to get rid of odds and ends and stuff the various charities didn't want (pile of cinder blocks in back yard, partial cans of paint that is still good, toys) but I got tired of some people not showing up and took a hiatus for a few months. Now it looks like no one is posting to our local group at all. Not sure what happened. My office is moving and discarding boxes and boxes of usable office supplies. I hate to see it go to trash, so I've been working to connect it with new homes - various homeschool groups, non profits that friends work for, kids clubs, etc. it's s PITA, especially carting it out of the building and delivering. My one rule is that it can't come into my house. Good luck. Getting junk out of the house on a regular basis is difficult but I don't want to end up looking like a hoarder. |
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BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
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Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
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Post by BarbaraUK on Aug 13, 2015 23:21:45 GMT
I'm just doing a big sort out purge as well but it's fairly easy once I decide something must go. Our local household waste tip has containers for everything - ordinary waste, broken small electricals, large electricals, electronics, plastics, batteries etc., etc.,....even bags of socks and clothes. When I've taken them there I can forget them knowing that as much as possible will be recycled and kept out of landfill and other stuff will be disposed of properly so I feel better about it all. It's a brilliant system!  The decent stuff goes to favourite charity shops. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2015 23:57:29 GMT
I don't send t shirts to charity anymore , I make my own rags. The when my husband needs rags in the garage he has some. And he just throws away the dirty oily ones.
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