Photo: Mazdaguy03/iStockphoto
I love clearing out clutter. I love the sense of purpose as I purge our closets, drawers and garage of unwanted stuff and the feeling of clarity and accomplishment when I’m done.
Ever since I got a little more educated about landfills, finding good homes for my cast-offs takes time and patience. In the old days, I just hauled everything to the curb. Neighbors and salvage professionals would poke through it with the remainder getting hauled off by the sanitation specialists.
About three years ago, I started thinking about trash and how to generate less of it, and I decided to be more strategic. Now, for each thing I’m looking to unload, I consider the options: recycling, upcycling, donating, consigning, selling, freecycling and, as a last resort, tossing.
Recycling: My curbside recycling picks up the usual glass, plastic, cardboard and paper. I recycle batteries and light bulbs at IKEA. This year I have a lot of wire hangers, which can be dropped off at some dry cleaners. We also have a garage full of e-waste we need to properly recycle.
Upcycling: Better than recycling, upcycling transforms something you don’t need anymore into something better. Avondale Estates resident Rachel Herzog upcycles wool and cashmere sweaters through her business, Tickleworm. I have given her tons of old sweaters, including some I knitted myself and hated to part with. All those hours! Upcycling will never be an option for a lot of my stuff, but when it works out, it’s satisfying.
Donating: I used to take everything to the Salvation Army, but I wondered where my stuff ended up. Now I try to donate items in good condition directly to someone who can use them. My husband’s mint condition hybrid bike has been sitting in my living room for months while I try to find a new owner. I’m hopeful the Refugee Resettlement & Immigration Services of Atlanta can help. My neighbor is becoming a foster mom, and I plan to give her my gently used infant car seat.
Consigning: Cool resale shops like Rag-O-Rama in Little Five Points sneered at my castoff clothes. I try not to take it personally. Kids’ consignment shops and seasonal sales are great for the gear my no-longer-a-baby has outgrown. Consigning isn’t lucrative — a carload of baby stuff may yield $50 or less — but it’s an option for some items.
Selling: I don’t like Craigslist. It’s a hassle fielding phone calls, giving directions and waiting for prospective buyers to show up. But for my Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers, Craigslist or eBay might be the best way to reach that subset of mothers with the eco-commitment and absence of squeamishness cloth diapering requires.
Freecycling: When I subscribed to the local freecycling Yahoo group, I was overwhelmed. But I have had luck with informal freecycling in the form of hauling stuff to the edge of my lawn and watching with curiosity as my neighbors pick through it.
Furniture, no matter how badly it’s falling apart, always finds a home. Knicknacky baskets, vases and bowls don’t get the love. To give my neighbors maximum opportunity to claim my junk, I put it out just after the garbage truck arrives.
Tossing: Some junk needs to go to the landfill. I have an abundance of broken toys, because so many of my daughter’s toys were secondhand when she got them. Other kid items have been recalled or deemed unsafe. To the dump they go.
When I get rid of stuff, I feel light and free. From an eco perspective, though, I should avoid accumulating so much stuff in the first place. I want to hang on to that sense of peace and order instead of losing it over the course of the year and having to work so hard to find it again.
Patti Ghezzi lives in Avondale Estates and is founding partner of Greater Good Communication.
