Need to find a new home for old computers, toys your kids have outgrown, or paint you're not going to use? Here is our guide to getting stuff out of your basement and into all the right places—that is, everywhere but the landfill.
Find out how to recycle everything from cereal box tops to soda tabs in TOBAY.
Clothing: Cleaning out your closet gives you the opportunity to help others in need or maybe even make some extra cash.
Kids' Clothing: Whether you are looking to donate clothes or sell them for next year's school wardrobe fund, here are some local places you can get rid of the outgrown hand-me-downs from your kid's closet.
Toys: As your children get older and are gifted more toys, they outgrow certain playthings that can benefit less fortunate children. Consider donating to Toys for Tots, or go to www.donationtown.org to find out how you can get toys picked up from your home.
Here is a list of places to donate to charities like St. Vincent de Paul, etc.
Electronics, Computers, Cellphones: Even though that old computer and last year's iPhone seem outdated, there are plenty of people who could put them to good use. For example, many women’s shelters collect working cellphones for women in domestic abuse situations so they can call 911 if needed, explains HowStuffWorks.com. Here are some other examples of local organizations where you can donate, sell or recycle your used electronics.
Household Goods: Ever go through your garage and wonder why you have so many flyswatters, toasters and gardening gloves? Consider bartering them online or donating to the following local organizations.
Furniture: Even though you think you can never have one too many end tables, chances are, they will get tucked away into a hall closet and be forgotten in months. To give yourself more storage space, consider donating or selling your old furniture to the places below.
Waste and Recycling:
Town of Oyster Bay's S.T.O.P collection program will help dispose of solid waste. Click here for a full list of what you can ditch.
Paint: It's safe to dry out your leftover latex paint with kitty litter, dump it in the garbage and recycle the can. But, oil-based paints are actually considered hazardous, according to TheDailyGreen.com. Here are some ways you can safely discard the cans of paint taking up space in your garage.
Paper Shredding Services: Looking for a way to get rid of old documents but don't want to risk someone seeing your private information? Here are some paper shredding services nearby. The Town holds paper shredding events periodically where industrial shredders can securely eliminate documents.
Newspapers, Magazines and Other Paper: According to environment.about.com, recycling one ton of paper can save 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil, 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space and 4,000 kilowatts of energy. Here are some ways you can recycle the old mail, used magazines and last week's newspaper that are cluttering your counters and coffee tables.
Plastic: According to Earth911.com, recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. While it's pretty easy to recycle bottles in town, other plastic items can be tricky. However, many grocery stores offer recycling programs for plastic bags and product wraps. Here a list of nearby places where you can recycle plastic items from your home.
Glass: Glass is a very efficient material to recycle, because it takes much less energy and money to recycle the material than to make it from scratch, according to curiosity.discovery.com. Here is a list of ways to get rid of empty wine bottles, condiment jars and other glass products in town.
Recycling for Charities & Schools:
Soda Can Tabs: Many charitable organizations such as Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) collect soda pop tabs in fund raising efforts. After the tabs are collected, they bring them to local recycling centers where they are weighed to determine their value. The recycling center then sends the local RMHC chapter a check for the total value.
Cereal Box Tops: A lot of schools collect these to make money for their PTAs and other organizations. Every little bit helps. You can find a list of participating products here and contact local PTAs here.
What did we miss? Tell us where you're recycling, reselling and donating your gently used items.
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