Letting Go

For some it is not easy to let go of possessions. As an organizer I can help make decisions. Our Declutter 101 can help making decisions.

What you can do with items you decided to let go:

Recycle, Regift/Donate, Resell

Paper | Plastic | Metals | Appliances | Electronics | Cell Phones | Chemicals | Fluorescents | Batteries | Compost

"At last the garbage reached so high
That finaly it touched the sky.
And all the neighbors moved away,
And none of her friends would come and play."
Shel Silverstein, "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out."

Recycling Links in and around Greater Austin Area:

How Do I Dispose of…?

Austin Recycling Guide

Go to Earth911 to find where and how to recycle just about anything

Ecology Action

The Williamson County Recycling Center 512 846 2756

No recycling service in your area?
Call Green Goddess Recycling at 512 423 8600

Styrofoam is seldom recyclable. Call the Peanut Hotline at 800 828 2214 to find out about loctions in your area (they know from your caller ID) to bring Styrofoam peanuts to.

Paper

Austin's single-stream bins now accept corrugated cardboard, cereal boxes, cardboard egg cartons, six-pack holders, pizza boxes, wax paper, milk and juice cartons, non-metallic wrapping paper, phone books, shredded paper (inside a paper bag), envelopes with plastic windows, and food packaging. Newsprint, circulars, office paper, notebook paper, stationary, junk mail, and catalogs are accepted virtually anywhere. Look for the recycling containers in parking lots of schools, Goodwills, etc.

Envelopes, sticky notes, and other paper coated with adhesive material are accepted by the City of Austin’s pickup service. Adhesive paper is not accepted at Ecology Action.

Moving boxes in good condition are accepted at the Tesoros Trading Company’s wholesale office (506 Baylor).

Magazines can be donated in small quantities to your local hospital or health clinic. The magazines must be family-friendly and current. Some places may not accept magazines older than six months. Some public or school libraries may accept magazines.

Plastic

“Plastic” is a very general term used to describe a family of chemical compounds. For recycling purposes, plastics are labeled according to the Society of the Plastics Industry resin identification coding system, commonly known as those little numbers printed inside the triangular recycling symbols on the bottom of your milk jug or Coke bottle. Only types 1 (PETE) and 2 (HDPE) are easily recyclable in most American cities.

• Plastics 1 - 7 are recyclable through Solid Waste Services’ Single Stream Recycling service in the City of Austin. Plastic containers must be gallon-size or smaller.
• Types 1 and 2 can be recycled by anyone who accepts plastic recycling. This includes various private waste management firms, Ecology Action, and several bins throughout the city.
• Types 3, 4, 5, and 7 (but not 6!) are accepted by the Austin Children’s Museum (201 Colorado Street) for reuse in art projects. Kids will be using this stuff, so please clean it thoroughly.
• Plastic shopping bags should never be recycled along with type 1 and 2 plastic containers! Any Whole Foods, Central Market, H-E-B, Target, Wal-Mart, or Randall’s accept plastic bags for recycling in any quantity. (The City of Austin’s website says you must return bags to the same store. This simply isn’t true.) Plus, Whole Foods will deduct five cents from your order for each plastic or canvas you bring into the store and reuse upon checkout.
• Film canisters are accepted by Precision Camera (3801 N Lamar, Austin, TX) and other camera stores, though you should call ahead to be sure.
• Motor oil bottles are not recyclable – even if they’re empty. See the hazardous waste section below.

Metals

• Aluminum cans (soda and beer, for example) are accepted virtually anywhere.
• Aluminum foil and pie tins are accepted at Ecology Action.
• Tin, which is used to store canned goods, is accepted by the City of Austin’s pickup service and at most places that accept “cans.” (Don’t throw your tin cans in a bin marked simply “aluminum.”) While aluminum has virtually replaced tin as the metal of choice for drinks, some fruit juice and beer cans are still made of tin.
• Aerosol cans are accepted by the City of Austin’s pickup service. Only empty or near-empty aerosol cans should be recycled, as their contents may rupture in the process. Partially full cans must be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility on Tuesday or Wednesday from 12pm–6pm and the first Saturday of every month from 7am–12pm.
• Scrap metal and large metal items can be dropped off at Ecology Action or at the Diversion Recycling Center at the City of Austin landfill. The city’s pickup services will not haul away large metal.
• City of Austin pick-up service now accepts large metal items, including frying pans and pipes.
• Wire coat hangers are accepted by most dry cleaners.

• CDN Systems takes non-ferrous metals, such as stainless, aluminum, copper, brass, or anything a magnet won't adhere to.

Appliances

• Waterheaters and all appliances (except TVs and microwaves) will be accepted by Austin Metal and Iron Works, 1000 E 4th, 477-4640.
• Diversion Recycling Center will also accept appliances and various other materials for recycle.
• The City of Austin’s pickup service will pick up bulky items during specially scheduled times. Over 10% of the bulky items are recycled. Metal refrigerators will be recycled – please remove the doors before placing them on the curb. You’ll receive a notice informing you of upcoming bulk pick-ups. But if you need to know sooner than that, you can call the city during normal bussiness hours at 494-9400.

Electronics: Computers, monitors, peripherals, and components

Computers are considered hazardous waste because their circuitry and parts contain lead, mercury, and other toxic, soil-polluting substances.

• Goodwill Industries accepts virtually all electronic waste free-of-charge. Go to www.austincompuerworks.org for more information.
• Ink and toner cartridges can be dropped off at many Best Buy and office supply stores. At the very least, they can provide you with a postage-paid envelope to mail your cartridges back to the manufacturer to be refurbished.
• If you’ve got lots of old computer parts lying around – say, several boxes – you should hire a private firm to dispose of it for you. For more information, consult the City of Austin’s list of computer recycling locations.
• Televisions are accepted at Goodwill locations or you can put them on the curb during Austin's bulk pick-up days.
• Inkjet cartridges can be recycled at Ecology Action, any office supply store, or at Megabyte Express, 6500 Burnet Road (helps groups such as the Humane Society raise money through cartridge recycling). Check with your child's school if there is a program that raises funds through cartridge recycling.

• CDN Systems takes computer equipment of any kind.

Cell phones and portable electronics

While Best Buy and other electronics retailers accept donations, there are plenty of non-corporate, charitable causes that are practically begging for your old or broken phones. We suggest CollectiveGood, which accepts all manner of portable electronics, including phones, pagers, and PDAs. The process is easy: Choose which charity you want to benefit, print out a free mailing label, and box up the goods. You’ll even get a very official tax credit. Don’t like CollectiveGood? A simple Google search for “cell phone donation” yields plenty of alternatives.
Megabyte Express, Safe Place, any AT&T store (www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com), or Travis County Sheriff's Office (donated to domestic abuse victims for emergency use) accept old cell phones.

Costco has a recycling program.

Motor Oil Motor oil is accepted by just about anyone who changes oil, though you should call first to be sure. Usually they’ll take other car fluids as well. Oil should be delivered inside a sealed, leak-proof container during normal business hours. Do not mix used motor oil with other automotive fluids or materials.

Chemicals

Household chemicals are accepted by the Household Hazardous Waste Facility every Tuesday or Wednesday from 12pm–6pm and the first Saturday of every month from 7am–12pm. Businesses may drop off waste by appointment only. See the Household Hazardous Waste Facility in Austin for more info. If you are over 65 they will pick up.

High Efficiency Fluorescents

Dispose incandescent light bulbs in your trash.

Fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury, an environmental toxin and pollutant. Luckily, the Household Hazardous Waste Facility accepts these bulbs for recycling free-of-charge. You can also take them to IKEA and some Home Depot locations.

Batteries

Alkaline batteries are probably okay to throw away. Since 1984, battery manufacturers have reduced their mercury content by 97%; because of the reduced threat, many alkaline batteries given to recycling programs end up in landfills. As of late 2007, there’s no conclusive answer to this ongoing debate.

Non-alkaline batteries (including car batteries) are accepted by the Household Hazardous Waste Facility and the Diversion Recycling Center. Some cell phone and laptop batteries can be recycled at Best Buy. You can also take your cell phones with their batteries to Ecology Action (get link) during business hours, or the UT Campus Environmental Center (get link) at any time.

Composting

Composting is not too hard; just keep the following tips in mind. (Note: these are very basic instructions for composting.)

Do not compost: meat, fish, poultry (this includes bones), food sauces, fat, grease, oils, dairy products, feces, invasive weeds, treated wood, ashes, charcoal, and non-organic things like plastic, metal, and glass. Basically, do not include anything that will become infectious as it decomposes, or might poison or infest the area.

Do compost: grass, yard/tree trimmings (no sticks), leaves, vegetable and fruit food scraps, coffee grounds (Caution: 1 part coffee grounds to 24 parts of green compost), tea leaves, shredded paper.

For more tips on composting, visit here.

Have your family members and friends in mind when determining that the item is not for you. Have a special place where you keep future presents, label them who they are intended for. Use a rainy day to make your own catalog, and get them ready for the occasion by wrapping them. Shop in your own re-gifting store first.

Check with the Settlement Home's wishlist to donate just about anything.

Donate to any Goodwill or Salvation Army. Check your local listings. Salvation Army pickups are scheduled. Call them to find out when they are in your area if you have a lot or bulky items. They require you to list what they will be picking up

Recycle, Regift/Donate, Resell

Paper | Plastic | Metals | Appliances | Electronics | Cell Phones | Chemicals | Fluorescents | Batteries | Compost

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Consignment - CONSIGN WITH US! Google “consignment in (Austin)” for updated results on consignment stores in and around (Austin). The National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops helps you find a local consignment shop, plus it provides with lots of information on how to consign. How to consign is a must site to visit if you are thinking about consigning with high returns.

Garage Sale - In general, we do not recommend garage sales–unless you have a number of high-dollar items that will bring you profit at the end of the day. If you decide to sell out of your garage or driveway, limit your hours and state clearly on your signs or in your ad what will draw buyers. The cheapest way to advertise is Craigs List, make sure you list your biggest items or group of items that may be of interest for the season.

Auctions - Google “auction houses in (Austin)” for updated results on auction houses in and around (Austin) or sell on online auction sites. Review the best to use and most applicable to you. Bonanzle is a low cost selling spot where you only pay a fee when you sell. At Deal It Live you can post a video of your item. Half.com let's you sell your videos, books, games, and music (an e-bay company).

Classifieds - Use craigslist.com, kijiji.com, or austinolx.com for free classifieds online or choose your local newspaper(s) and word according to your budget.

Online Selling Spots - Abebooks lets you sell your used books including textbooks. Alibris is another online seller for books, videos, and music. BuyMyTronics wants to buy your used, new and broken Electronics today! CDs, DVDs, and games can be sold at Second Spin.

Recycle, Regift/Donate, Resell

Paper | Plastic | Metals | Appliances | Electronics | Cell Phones | Chemicals | Fluorescents | Batteries | Compost

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