How to responsibly donate and discard after you declutter

With a new year comes New Year’s resolutions, and for many people decluttering their home is at the top of that list. This is an ideal time of year to take a good hard look at your possessions and ask yourself which of them you truly use or love to look at, and which ones need to leave your home.

But as difficult as decluttering can be, oftentimes the hardest part is actually getting rid of the stuff you don’t need anymore! Most people default to (eventually) dropping the bags off at their nearest Goodwill.

Which is totally understandable! There are tons of locations — many of which are accessible by public transit, they stay open later than a lot of other donation places, and they accept almost anything. It’s definitely satisfying to think that by giving them your old clothes and blankets, you’re helping people in need and keeping things out of the landfill.

Unfortunately, this may not be the case. According to this article in the Washington Post, Goodwill receives billions (!) of pounds of donations a year. A shocking amount of those items never even make it to the store shelves. If you’re curious, the article explains where those things do end up, and the environmental and economic damage they cause, if you’re curious.

Besides that, you may have unwanted items that aren’t suitable to donate anywhere, like broken electronics, stained towels, or threadbare t-shirts.

The bottom line is, in most areas there are more sustainable options for getting rid of your old clothes, books, or housewares than donating them to Goodwill or throwing them in the trash.

Below is a list of ways to responsibly let go of everything in your home that no longer serves you. At the bottom are some Atlanta-specific options. If you need assistance finding something in your city, comment below and I’ll do my best to help!

Basically anything

The Buy Nothing Project is a global initiative that has created hyperlocal communities where people can give and receive all kinds of items. You can post almost anything and someone will probably offer to take it from you. I’m not kidding — I’ve seen people offer up everything from furniture, to packs of braiding hair, to even a leftover veggie tray from a party. There are a ton of active groups on Facebook, but there is an app too.

Books

Many neighborhoods have these adorable birdhouse-looking things called Little Free Libraries! You can check here or on the app to see if there is one near you. This is a great option if you just have a few books to give away. If you have a lot, see if your local library, nursing home, or shelter accepts book donations.

Old towels

Your local animal shelter would probably love to take these off your hands!

Glasses

Costco and Walmart vision centers usually accept old glasses.

Women’s business clothing

Dress for Success collects office-appropriate women’s clothes and accessories.

Furniture and home improvement items

Habitat for Humanity will accept all kinds of furniture and home improvement items like doorknobs, tile, and drawer pulls. It’s the perfect place to bring leftover supplies from a renovation. Many locations will pick up items for free if you have big furniture pieces to donate. For a faster response, make sure to include pictures in your request form!

Old or broken electronics

Staples and Best Buy stores accept old phones, computers, and more for recycling.

ATLANTA DONATION + RECYCLING RESOURCES

Food

The ATL Free Fridge is open 24/7 and accepts fresh and nonperishable food, hygiene products, and formula and diapers. See the full list of accepted items here.

North Fulton Community Charities accepts donations for their food pantry. Their thrift store accepts furniture and clothes.

Unusual recyclables

CHARM accepts all kinds of recyclables. Besides the obvious cardboard boxes and plastic bottles, you can bring old electronics, tires, unwearable clothes, Styrofoam, and paint. They take donations of items in good condition as well. There is a fee for some things like appliances, TVs and chemicals. See a full list of what they accept here.

Home medical equipment

FODAC (Friends of Disabled Adults and Children) takes home medical equipment, as well as most other kinds of donations. See the full list here. They offer pickup for a fee.

Baby items

Helping Mamas accepts all kinds of baby supplies like clothes, diapers, cribs, and more. Full list here.

Craft supplies

Scraplanta takes donations of arts and crafts items like canvases, sewing supplies, and paint brushes, as well as odds and ends that could be used for crafting such as magazines, old keys, and bottle caps. See the full list here.

General thrift stores with specific missions

Lost-N-Found Youth helps young LGBTQ+ people in need. Check here to see what they accept. They offer free pickups if you have something large to donate.

FurKids uses the profit from their thrift store to provide shelter, food, and medical care to cats and dogs.

If you would love to declutter your home, but you have no time or energy, we can help! We even drop off donations and special recyclables for you :)

Click here to check out the services we offer, and book a complimentary consultation call!