![]() Some retailers dismantle the mattress and recycle its components. If you're buying a new mattress, the retailer may take away the old one, but try to find out what happens to it. Mattresses: They are the stuff of landfill nightmares. Often they take them to use for pet bedding and/or for cleanup rags. To donate well-worn towels, call your local animal shelter. Go to Linens: Goodwill and Salvation Army thrift stores accept towels, sheets, curtains, and such. Junk Mail: The Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service lets you opt out of receiving unsolicited commercial mail and email from national companies (at least those that are registered with the service) for five years. You can also hire services such as 1-800-Got-Junk and Bagster to haul away your old furniture. Haul it to the curb a day early and put a "free" sign on it, in case someone might want it. If the furniture is shot, ask your trash collector about curbside pickup. Or try, a members site where you can give and get goods free. The Salvation Army and some Goodwill programs provide pickup service, usually within 48 hours, and tax receipts. "Bad photo is the second most common." Shoot for decent lighting and spare styling.Ĭharities accept furniture if it's in decent shape-no broken parts or big rips or stains. "No photo is the most common mistake," says Martin Herbst, general manager of eBay Classifieds U.S. Early spring and back-to-school are the hot seasons, though you'll need to market skillfully. (Find out how long to keep tax records and other documents.)įurniture: Try selling unwanted furniture on Craigslist or eBay. Call 80 for details.įinancial Documents: Those you can typically keep for a year or less and then shred include: Bank deposits and ATM receipts (keep until you reconcile with monthly statements) credit-card bills (unless you need to prove a charitable deduction or warranty) insurance policies (keep until your new policy comes) monthly investment statements (shred when new statements arrive) pay stubs (keep until you reconcile with your annual W-2 form) and receipts you're not using to itemize tax deductions or return merchandise. Other organizations also have thrift stores, such as the Salvation Army. At Goodwill (see for retail locations), if they can't repair the clothes for sale, they'll recycle old clothing scraps into industrial wipes (cleaning cloths) for industrial buyers. ![]() A number of outfits have arrangements to pick up the clothes as well as stores where you can take them for donation. Some of them will make arrangements to pick up your donations at home or work. ![]() For other options, go to and type in the item you want to donate.Ĭlothing: Clothes are easy to send on to a new life to thrift shops and donation services. and Canada, which sell leftovers from retailers and homeowners. (lets you send to troops once you've registered as a volunteer)īuilding Supplies: Habitat for Humanity runs ReStores in the U.S.Other organizations that accept used books (typically in very good condition) include these: To donate your books, contact a local library, church, day-care center, senior center, school, homeless shelter, or nonprofit agency, or try the Vietnam Veterans of America, Goodwill, or Salvation Army. (compares prices at dozens of book-buying sites to find the one that will pay the most for your books).For local bike shops and groups involved in this kind of work, go to Books: The growing popularity of e-readers may mean that people are becoming less attached to their old books and are looking for new homes for them. Other organizations specialize in refurbishing bikes and sending them to developing countries. The nonprofit Pedal Revolution bike shop in San Francisco is similar and accepts bikes with no severe rust or damage. (Check our appliances page for the latest in washers and dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, and more.)īicycles: The nonprofit Recycle-a-Bicycle in New York City takes used bikes to help teach kids bicycle repair and other skills. To donate appliances large and small in good condition, check with your local Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Salvation Army, Vietnam Veterans of America, or other charity. Find out whether your town or county government offers an appliance-recycling program or locate one on the Steel Recycling Institute's website. Some utilities will even pay you to dispose of an energy-wasting appliance. , Best Buy, Sears, and some utilities participate in the EPA's Responsible Appliance Disposal Program, which ensures, among other things, that chemicals are recovered and the metal, plastic, and glass are recycled. Appliances: When you buy a large appliance, most retailers will haul away the old one. ![]()
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