Decluttering Without the Dumpster: Solutions for Hard-to-Recycle Items

I am someone who cannot throw anything out. Sustainable habits were ingrained in me early on and by now throwing anything away feels like sacrilege. And while that may seem like a positive attribute in a world of many single-use goods, my storage areas quickly fill with unwanted junk. There is nothing of meaning I can do with broken holiday lights or old bed pillows, but God forbid those end up in a dumpster! So, while we all gear up for our spring cleaning, and in recognition of Earth Day, I wanted to share some solutions I've found to pesky yet still recyclable goods. Recycling Center: Surprise, surprise! You should bring your recyclables to your local transfer station; but depending on the capacity of the facility, your recycling efforts can go far beyond just cardboard and plastics #1 and #2. Transfer stations such as Walpole have implemented reuse centers where community members can donate unwanted goods. Folks can shop these items and purchase them by donation — essentially a year-round community yard sale. In Walpole, these donations benefit the Fall Mountain Food Shelf. By donating your items to a reuse center, you are prolonging the life of the item while benefiting community members who may not otherwise afford such items. Go online and visit the website of your local facility for a full list of recyclable items and any rates that may be associated. (Keep in mind that any goods you want to recycle must be clean and dry.) Recycling sometimes has a cost, but the cost the Earth will pay is far greater. Polyethylene Plastic Drop-offs: The caveat to recycling centers is that they can only recycle so much. Each type of waste has its own recycling requirements and with limited funding to these facilities, not everything can be recycled. Polyethylene plastics (think grocery bags, bread bags and cling wrap) cannot be recycled through traditional programs as their stretchy nature can get caught in the recycling equipment, making them hard to sort. Luckily, many grocery stores and other locations have begun implementing polyethylene plastic collection bins outside of their storefronts. Both Hannaford and ALDI have receptacles at their entrances. Now I have a place to bring the jam-packed bag of grocery bags under my sink! Staples: Much of the waste I'm holding on to is tech waste — broken charging cords, old gaming headphones, dead batteries and the aforementioned holiday lights. I've put off disposing of these things because from what I knew, they were non-recyclable, but thanks to Staples, I stand corrected. The Staples company has their own recycle program for these difficult-to-recycle items — often tech, but even school supplies and phone cases have a place here. E-waste, if not properly recycled, can harm the environment due to the hazardous materials such as lead, mercury and cadmium, used in their production. Recycling these items protects soil health while also allowing the glass and plastic components to be recycled. The good news is most of what you can purchase at Staples can be recycled there at the end of its life. Coupons and reward programs are in place to incentivize customers to participate. At the time of writing this article, Staples is offering $30 off select HP printers when you recycle your old one in store — pretty cool! Since 2012, the Staples company claims to have recycled 188,097,689 pounds of technology through their store program. Visit www.staples.com/stores/recycling for a full list of eligible items. Textile Bins and Drives: Textiles can be difficult to recycle due to their material complexity but especially if stained or ripped. Clothes are by far the easiest since many systems are in place for secondhand clothes such as yellow bins, thrift stores and resource centers such as Hundred Nights Inc. in Keene. So long as the clothes are in good condition (no tears, broken zippers or missing buttons) make a meaningful contribution for those in need. The Monadnock Co-op will host a free textile recycling drive on Sunday, April 27 from 9 to 11 a.m. in partnership with Collection Helpsy. Visit monadnockfood.coop/event/springtextiledrive/ for a list of accepted donations. Rage Room: Sometimes things are trash, but I still don't have the heart to toss it. If you'd still like to find one last purpose, reach out to local business, The Keene Axe House, to inquire if they're collecting goods for their new rage room. While there are parameters to what goods can be smashed (nothing with liquids like refrigerants, medical equipment, etc.) you'll feel better knowing those old dishes are helping someone get over their ex or relieve some anger at their boss. I got rid of an old set of chipped dishes this way. Ultimately, we cannot recycle everything. Some things are just garbage, but this is the price we pay as humans. We cannot do it all, but putting some intention behind how we declutter and dispose this spring season will make an impact on environmental health — it all counts!