Spring is an excellent time for taking stock, reorganising your home and getting rid of the clutter.
But when you are rehoming the things you no longer want, it’s important to do what you can to make sure it doesn’t all end up in landfill. The average person in the UK throws away 400kg of waste each year or the equivalent of seven times their body weight.
To recognise Global Recycling Day, we take a look at what you can do with your unwanted possessions other than simply throwing them away.
Many of the pieces of furniture and objects thrown away are still reusable but simply need a little tender loving care. Upcycling and repairing items can extend their lifecycle and make them seem like new. You can also use things that you might otherwise view as rubbish to make something else completely new. One way of upcycling furniture without spending a lot of money is to give it a lick of paint. Lightly sand the surface of wooden furniture first to get rid of any imperfections or scratches and then add a primer before painting in the colour of your choice. Other small changes like adding new handles to cupboards and drawers can make a big difference.
There are plenty of online groups, especially on social media, where you can sell your unwanted possessions or swap them for something you actually do need or want. You can also use groups like this to give your items away for free. Selling or giving away your possessions to someone who actually wants them gives you the satisfaction of knowing they will be used and appreciated rather than left to rot in a landfill site.
Sort through your waste and look for things which can be recycled. While your kerbside collection is likely to take glass, cardboard, paper and plastic, there may be other items which won’t be collected by your local council but can still be recycled. Find out which items can be taken to your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre. Some sites will take furniture and electricals and recycle them so you don’t need to throw them away. It is also worth checking whether the manufacturer of a product you are disposing of runs a recycling scheme. Often manufacturers will take one of their old products back so they can recycle it and repurpose the parts. Look out for any recycling schemes which are running in your local area which may take items you would otherwise have thrown away.
If there are things you are unlikely to need for a while and you’re not sure what to do with them, why not put them into self-storage? Rather than getting rid of items and then having to buy replacements again in the future, rent a self-storage unit where you can keep things while you are not using them. This works especially well for bulky seasonal items. Self-storage can also buy you some time while you sort through your unwanted possessions and work out what to do with them. It gets them out of your home so you can enjoy the space but allows you to make sure your things end up in the right place rather than simply thrown away. Andrew Porter Limited’s Self Store offers flexible storage so you can decide exactly how much space you need and how long you need it for.
If your belongings are in a good condition and could be used again but you don’t want the hassle of selling them, you could donate them to a charity shop. As well as clothes, books, toys and bric-a-brac, some charities will also take larger items like furniture and electrical goods. Some charities will offer a free collection service for certain items and others may have drop-off points where you can take your things. In addition to charity shops, there may be organisations that collect certain types of items for good causes. This could include charities collecting warm clothes for the homeless, household goods and furniture for people who have fled domestic violence or baby equipment for low-income families who have very little. Doing a bit of research into which of your things can be donated will not only help you clear space at home but it will allow you to make a positive impact on your community. At Andrew Porter, we will collect items from our customers who are moving house or putting items into storage and donate them to Derian House – a children’s hospice in Chorley which provides respite and end-of-life care to more than 400 children and young people across the North West. The hospice is always looking for high quality undamaged donations of furniture, white goods and electronic items and our crews can take them directly to its charity shop warehouse to stock its stores.
