https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:43:36 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff/page/2#post-2051152 Wed, 07 Aug 2019 02:53:14 +0000 Laurinda 2051152@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What a great story Gaylene!&nbsp;<br />I love the Little Free Libraries&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="https://littlefreelibrary.org/">https://littlefreelibrary.org/</a></p> <p>We've donated sheet music &amp; instruments, photography and astronomy gear to local schools.</p> <p>Local senior centers, maker labs or hacker groups might be interested in games, craft items, electronics, or tools.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2050599 Sun, 04 Aug 2019 22:12:26 +0000 SarahD8 2050599@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Gaylene, what an amazing and heartwarming story!</p> <p>I was coming here to mention the group that Liz A. linked to above — Buy Nothing. These are local (sometimes hyper-local) Facebook groups where people are able to offer and request all sorts of items. I’ve given away a ton of stuff (everything from a pasta pot that was just too big for our needs to a half a bag of cactus planting mix). Great for borrowing too — I have a life jacket I borrowed for my recent mussel raft jaunt that I need to return to a neighbor. It’s more labor intensive than goodwill donation but great for community building and you can often find a taker for items that goodwill wouldn’t accept.</p> <p>For folks getting rid of tools and such, maybe a local tool library would like them? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2050321 Sat, 03 Aug 2019 21:06:41 +0000 Anonymous 2050321@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I know of some some Good Wills that take old electronics to train people to fix them. Call ahead and ask. Some places have a “Play It Again Sports” store store that is for selling used sports equipment of all kinds. It was especially helpful for finding stuff for for kids just starting out in a sport like golf or baseball. We have given awY beds and bedding through a center for abused women for when they find a place to live. They especially need something for children to sleep on. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2050246 Sat, 03 Aug 2019 13:03:19 +0000 Janet 2050246@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Some wonderful suggestions here! I’m taking notes. </p> <p>Freecycle is GREAT! Especially for random things that aren’t necessarily Goodwill or thrift shop items. I’ve given away gallons of paint (a children’s theater company will use them for sets), old window blinds that still have life in them, paving stones, plant pots, half-used candles, etc. Stuff that many people would just throw in the trash. Putting free items on Craigslist has been similarly successful. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2050072 Fri, 02 Aug 2019 21:13:52 +0000 kkards 2050072@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>nemosmom....re eye glasses, my favorite eye glass store will take the your old ones and then donate to a local health clinic that treats many low income people... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2049802 Fri, 02 Aug 2019 00:49:43 +0000 Anonymous 2049802@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you Runcarla, for sharing your steady flow of easily applicable, conscientious ideas here. It's really part of your identity to me and you never seem judgmental or self congratulatory.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2049685 Thu, 01 Aug 2019 17:40:46 +0000 nemosmom 2049685@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great suggestions above. I'll add our local libraries take old/used eyeglasses - I'm not sure if that's everywhere, but might be worth a phone call. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2049494 Thu, 01 Aug 2019 02:44:03 +0000 Liz A. 2049494@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><a rel="nofollow" href="https://buynothingproject.org/">https://buynothingproject.org/</a></p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2049394 Wed, 31 Jul 2019 19:53:25 +0000 Anonymous 2049394@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That's awful FI Bunch of rotters </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2049312 Wed, 31 Jul 2019 16:56:02 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2049312@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is a huge, huge regret about my last move. In the end, I hired a guy to sell everything that was left in online auctions. I paid him $1000 &amp; we were to split proceeds. He said he didn’t usually clean, but he would for me. We left, he didn’t get there, didn’t get there, didn’t get there until we were about to leave the country after a couple days R&amp;R. Then he “packed” it all, said I had to pay him over $3k for him to actually move it. I told him to drop dead &amp; called College Hunks Hauling junk. They said they’d donate everything they could before taking the rest to the dump. Then I thought I’d forgotten something &amp; started calling to trace where it might’ve been donated. Found out they were driving everything directly to the dump, including the weight bench and 150 lb of plates + dbs, a great loft bed, a matching bedroom suite that hadn’t sold but in the meantime people were offering more for than I’d paid.... Makes me sick to think of. </p> <p>START EARLY and DIY, PEOPLE. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2049251 Wed, 31 Jul 2019 14:47:40 +0000 Anonymous 2049251@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh Gaylene.&nbsp; That story is so profound.&nbsp; That must have been an extremely rewarding experience. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2049111 Wed, 31 Jul 2019 01:00:50 +0000 Anonymous 2049111@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I love everyone's stories and donation places! All my things go to local charity shops, but have donated pet supplies to the humane society, and office supplies to schools. I don't throw things away if they're potentially usable by someone else. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2049096 Tue, 30 Jul 2019 23:55:54 +0000 annagybe 2049096@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>REI and Nike take dead athletic shoes to turn into track surfaces<br /> ETA, I guess now they’re also turning into clothes &amp; shoes as well<br /> <a href="https://m.nike.com/us/en_us/c/innovation/grind" rel="nofollow">https://m.nike.com/us/en_us/c/innovation/grind</a> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048924 Tue, 30 Jul 2019 16:11:13 +0000 Diana 2048924@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I like to leave books in my local Little Free Libraries although I rarely take any. &nbsp;If you have any near you, they are very cool. &nbsp;There are loads in my neighborhood.<br /><a rel="nofollow" href="https://littlefreelibrary.org">https://littlefreelibrary.org</a></p> <p>Otherwise, I mostly donate to Goodwill. &nbsp;The one near me takes not only clothing, but also most household goods, books, and furniture. &nbsp;</p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048916 Tue, 30 Jul 2019 16:00:08 +0000 Jules 2048916@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Curb cycling for smaller items (got rid of half a dozen books this way over the weekend), as well as the virtual version which involves posting items on our neighbourhood Facebook group - people find happier homes for just about everything including food. Sometimes the respondent knows of an organization or person in need, mostly it’s just neighbours helping each other and avoiding the overconsumption and landfill cycle. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048857 Tue, 30 Jul 2019 12:39:21 +0000 Barbara Diane 2048857@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Gaylene, now I’m teary eyed. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048798 Tue, 30 Jul 2019 07:09:48 +0000 rachylou 2048798@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>There are also Creative Reuse depots. They take all sorts of things - crayons, paper, beads, cloth, old purses, empty film canisters, etc. Teachers and artists and others go there for supplies for art and other projects. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048772 Tue, 30 Jul 2019 04:27:34 +0000 Anonymous 2048772@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Preschools will love to get extra clothes for accidentsas well as extra plastic bags.<br /> For some things , you might ask friends if they know anyone who could use it. One of my friends took a whole set of dishes p,us flatwesr and kitchen linens for her mother who had just moved from her home. Her Mom was thrilled. Any office supplies will probably be used by a school orang educational program. A local museum may be interested in your WW2 stuff from Dad. Others wanted beds and furniture for college students or those with their first apartment. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048750 Tue, 30 Jul 2019 02:12:53 +0000 Carla 2048750@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LOVE these ideas. I will definitely keep the local animal shelter in mind for used linens, towels, etc. When our cat went to the big litter box in the sky I had a huge bag of kitty litter and vet quality kibble. I did phone them up first, and they were very happy to have the supplies. </p> <p>Gaylene - wonderful ideas for redistributing 'the good stuff'. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048738 Tue, 30 Jul 2019 01:18:55 +0000 Sal 2048738@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Some great ideas already.</p> <p>I have put things on TradeMe (which is like Ebay) for $1 reserve.&nbsp; I hope someone will get it who wants it rather than being disposed of.&nbsp; I sold a sofa for $10 last year (it was very marked).</p> <p>Things I struggle with:<br />- shoes worn out past donation<br />- plastic containers past their use</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048722 Tue, 30 Jul 2019 00:37:48 +0000 Gaylene 2048722@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, and all our camping/ backpacking/sports gear was donated to the university’s Outdoor Education centre. Students can’t always afford the required “gear” so the director keeps a storage area full of stuff for students to pick through to supplement their equipment. Camera and computer equipment also went to their respective programs. </p> <p>And our road bikes (and associated weather-related gear) went to a couple of university students from Ghana who now use them to get to school and for transportation in the city. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048719 Tue, 30 Jul 2019 00:16:12 +0000 Gaylene 2048719@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Instead of trying to sell our furniture and household items when we downsized, I put up a sign on the bulletin board of our local refugee resettlement centre with some pictures of our better furniture and household items—almost new living room sofas and chairs; solid-wood cabinets/armoires/tables; Mr. G’s shop saws and electric tools; my heavy-duty Kitchen-aid mixer with all the attachments; a set of Le Creuset pots; full sets of wedding china, crystal, and silver; and other high-end items. Everything was free, plus we had a truck Mr G would use to haul the items to their new homes. The only proviso was we asked for strong backs to lift and carry the stuff. </p> <p>The centre normally relied on the Salvation Army to help them set up living spaces, but once the director saw the quality of the items, she got onboard with the idea and mentioned it to a few families. To make a long story short, it was a busy but satisfying day as several newly arrived families got together to help us transport our the bulk of our former belongings to new homes. We ended up handing over mountains of linens, cushions, and pantry items as well once the families realized we weren’t unloading junk, but were giving away things that we could have easily sold or would have kept if it were not for the fact we were re-locating to much smaller quarters.</p> <p>The best moment of the day, though, (in addition to eating platefuls of fabulous cookies and cakes at every delivery. ) was when an elderly Syrian woman pulled me aside, and with the aid of a translator, thanked Mr G and me for letting them have such “nice” things. She whispered how she had wept when her son insisted they had to leave all her cherished family items behind when they fled the bombing but now she was so happy to once again have proper place for her family to have a meal. My voluntary “downsizing” took on a whole different perspective at that point. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048678 Mon, 29 Jul 2019 19:39:21 +0000 Jenn 2048678@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>In researching places to donate things during our move, I learned that a nearby landfill/recycling center has a “drop and shop” for hazardous materials. Not only can you drop off things like paint/fertilizer/cleaners, you can also pick up partial containers of those things there if you need them. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048665 Mon, 29 Jul 2019 18:41:01 +0000 Anonymous 2048665@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This was a big concern for me when we moved earlier this spring. TONS of stuff went to the Salvation Army, lots of stuff I gave away to friends (furniture, housewares, decor pieces ) and all of the outdoor/tools/yard care stuff went to a guy who picks up this type of stuff for free, and resells or donates it to people in need.&nbsp; I also threw out more things than I care to admit to, and felt awful about it.&nbsp; I have a sample sale at home twice a year where I sell off my work samples, and all of my own books that I'm finished with. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048655 Mon, 29 Jul 2019 17:41:39 +0000 Anonymous 2048655@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Old towels, sheets and blankets without fill, I usually donate to the local SPCA - they really need them.</p> <p>If house related - old appliances, dishes, lawn stuff - I donate to Habitat for Humanity Restore.</p> <p>Books, magazines, dvds to our library. They have a book sale twice a year to raise funds for operation. Books that have not sold&nbsp; in a while they have them burned.</p> <p>Pretty much everything else to our local Blind Association Thrift Store. They even take hangers, either to use of they recycle. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048651 Mon, 29 Jul 2019 17:31:00 +0000 Style Fan 2048651@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great ideas.&nbsp; There is a couple in my area who collect household goods for people in need.&nbsp; They do not sell the items but give them to the people.&nbsp; I found out about them through Habitat for Humanity.&nbsp; We have donated beds (it is hard to find someone who will take beds), sheets, furniture and other things.<br />Small book exchanges are starting to show up on people`s property, in parks and other areas.&nbsp; They are usually weatherproof cupboards that are filled with books.&nbsp; We have several in our neighbourhood.&nbsp; I would like to have one.&nbsp; Children's books are very popular.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048649 Mon, 29 Jul 2019 17:28:44 +0000 Jane 2048649@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>There is a fab place in our area called Furniture Now - sells mostly furniture but other stuff too. It employs adults with learning difficulties and long term unemployed, collects if needed and also runs the local recycling service. Just super. The thing is you can go there and buy anything very inexpensively and they have prices for ‘waged and unwaged’. Just totally straight forward and unashamedly practical. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048646 Mon, 29 Jul 2019 17:09:40 +0000 NancyW 2048646@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Local animal shelter/hospital for linens of all types. I have donated napkins, tablecloths, towels and sheets. They will use as is or cut to suit! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048643 Mon, 29 Jul 2019 17:06:48 +0000 kkards 2048643@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>where i live in the US places serving humans will not accept donations of used towels and bedding, but the animal shelters will.</p> <p>paperback books go to the Salvation Army...i'm told they sell really fast. old suitcases and small kitchen appliances that still work go there as well.&nbsp;</p> <p>we actually have an organization in my city that fixes up and donates old bikes...they take whole bike or parts...helmets and other bike accessories, and they'll take towels as well&nbsp;</p> <p>we have a couple of places that will take old appliances. sometimes they will resell them and sometimes they use them for parts.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-things-out-of-the-landfill---where-to-donate-your-stuff#post-2048640 Mon, 29 Jul 2019 16:57:53 +0000 rachylou 2048640@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>There’s a web called Freecycle. I don’t know where all it operates, but I’ve used it to pass on awkward things... like old Billy bookcases... the dump refuses IKEA furniture here: too much of it. </p>