Declutter responsibly, to reduce your impact on the enivronment and create a home that is stress free and easy to manage
Thermal paper receipts, commonly used in cash registers, are not accepted for recycling. This is because they often contain Bisphenol A (BPA) or Bisphenol S (BPS), chemicals that are unwanted in the recycling process. This is why it is recommended to throw thermal paper receipts into landfill.
If you want to get rid of used underwear, recycle them through Underwear for Humanity. With lightly used bras, donate these to Support the Girls. All other used bras can be sent to a textile sorting facility for recycling. Repurposing and composting are also options worth considering.
If you want to know where to donate clothes in Australia consider charities like Clothesline, Dress for Success, Wear for Success and 2nd Life Project – they will ensure clothing gets to those in need. Charities like The Salvation Army, Red Cross and Vinnies are great, but under certain circumstances.
If you are in the same position, wondering what to do with old charges, scrap cables and wires – do not throw them in the bin. If they are working, give them away on an online marketplace or to a local group. If they are useless you can sell your scrap cables to a scrap metal collector or take them to a Tech Collect or Ecycle collection point for cable recycling.
If you are wondering what to do with old photos you no longer want, there are a lot of reuse ideas out there. You could use them to make cards, decorations, collages, placemats, unique gifts or let your kids get crafty and have at it. If these options do not appeal to you, you can recycle or compost your photos.
When it comes to paint disposal in Australia, you can take your paints to a Paintback collection point. They will ensure the product – both the paint and paint containers- are recycled. Alternatively, you can take advantage of your council’s hazardous waste collection options to ensure proper disposal.
Instead of letting them gather dust in the back of your closet or tossing them in the trash, there are numerous sustainable options for managing your old footwear. Here are your options:
Sell your shoes online
Sell your shoes through consignment stores
Have a shoe swap with friends or family
Donate them to someone in need
Repair or revive your shoes
Downcycle or repurpose the shoes
Recycle your shoes
Compost them if that is an option
Selling your clothes online is worth it – under the right circumstances and if you go into it with the right mindset. Your clothes need to be in good condition and you need to simplify the selling process And you need to realise you won’t make as much money as you would like.
If you have old glasses and frames on hand, consider getting them repaired or you could upcycle damaged items into something new. You could sell or give away the frames online. If not, donating to the Lions Club is an option as they will ensure they are given to someone in need or recycled.
What to do with unwanted old clothes depends on the condition it is in and how much you have to deal with. The options include reselling, repurposing, recycling or composting. If you have a lot of items on hand, there are organisations out there that can help you through these options.
The best thing to do with used underwear is to recycle them through Underwear for Humanity. Lightly used bras can be donated to charities like Support the Girls. Otherwise, send them to a textile sorting facility for recycling. Repurposing and composting are also options worth considering.
The best places to sell your used clothing online in Australia include:
1. Facebook Marketplace
2. Carousel
3. Depop
4. eBay
5. Yordrobe
6. Gumtree
7. Poshmark
8. The Closet
9. Swapup
10. Reluv
Clothes that can not be donated to charities can be reused as rags or upcycled. If you’re not great at DIYs then you can give away your old clothes to someone that can make use of it. Otherwise, consider take-back schemes, composting or textile recycling centres if the clothes are beyond use.
You can throw clothes into your landfill bin but there is no need to when there are so many options to reuse, repurpose or recycle clothing. Don’t throw clothes into your recycling bin – clothes need to be sent elsewhere for recycling. You can throw clothes into charity bins, but it is not advised.
If you want to donate clothing in Australia consider charities like Clothesline, Dress for Success, Wear for Success and 2nd Life Project – they will ensure clothing gets to those in need. Charities like The Salvation Army, Red Cross and Vinnies are also great, but only under certain circumstances.
When you donate clothing to charities in Australia, it is either sold in a second-hand store, repurposed within Australia into rags or something else of use, sold to rag traders overseas or sent to landfill as waste. A small percentage is given to those in need in Australia.
With charities such as The Salvation Army, Red Cross, Vinnies, Good Sammy and Save the Children, you can donate all types of clothing – men’s, women’s and kids. However, the clothes can’t be torn, stained or unwashed before donating. So this generally rules out bras, undies and socks.
After reviewing various apps, I found the best apps to find recipes based on the ingredients you already have are:
Big Oven
Tasty
FOK
These apps either deal well with unusual ingredients or give high-quality search results based on more common ingredients. All three apps were very easy to use.
Other apps that were reviewed but were found to be lacking were:
Yummly
Cookpad
Supercook
Frigo Magic
These apps either lacked the range of recipes needed or they were generally hard to use.
As a guide to decluttering home decor, items you should consider removing completely and not purchase again include: decorative sculptures/ objects, wall clocks, candles, paintings, pictures and decorative table settings. Other home decor items such as trays, bowls, fabric throws, curtains, baskets, rugs, vases and cushions, typically perform a function, so keep these items but ensure you only keep what you use.
If you want to know where to donate books, I have listed quite a number of options for you to consider, from local schools and women’s shelters to online groups and marketplaces. There are also a number of charities in Australia that rely on book donations – some of these may have an office close to you. I have included the locations of some of these below. There are of course options to sell books you no longer need. If you have books on hand that are in bad condition, there is the DIY route. But to be honest, holding onto the extra clutter for a DIY that you would never get around to doing isn’t helpful so you are best to dispose of the books responsibly. Thinking beyond what to do with books after decluttering, there are some sustainable living practices that can be adopted moving forward.
