Keep, donate, sell, recycle or toss?
Once you've decided something can go, here's where it usually goes. Some items, like batteries, paint and medicine, need special handling and should never go in the trash.
Keep Donate Sell Recycle Special drop-off Shred Toss
| Item | Usually | How |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes you haven't worn in a year | Donate | Thrift stores and charity shops. Sell good-condition brand items if you like. |
| Duplicate kitchen tools and mugs | Donate | Keep your favorite one. Donate the rest. |
| Books you won't reread | Donate | Libraries, schools, little free libraries or a used bookstore. |
| Old towels and blankets | Donate | Many animal shelters welcome them. Call first. |
| Furniture in good condition | Sell | Sell locally or offer it free in a Buy Nothing group. Meet safely. |
| Old phones, tablets and laptops | Recycle | Back up and erase them first. Use a certified e-waste recycler or a store take-back program. |
| Broken small appliances | Recycle | E-waste recycling, or a repair cafe if it might be fixable. |
| Batteries | Special drop-off | Don't put them in the trash. Tape the ends of lithium batteries and use a battery drop-off. |
| Leftover paint | Special drop-off | Never pour it down a drain. Use household hazardous waste drop-off or a paint take-back program where available. |
| Cleaning chemicals and pesticides | Special drop-off | Household hazardous waste drop-off. Keep them in the original containers. |
| Expired or unused medicine | Special drop-off | Use a pharmacy drop-off box or a DEA Take Back Day. Only flush if the label says to. |
| Car seats | Special drop-off | Many charities can't accept them. Check the expiration date; some stores run trade-in events. |
| Old papers with personal details | Shred | Shred bank statements, old bills and anything with account or ID numbers. |
| Dried-out pens and broken plastic | Toss | Trash, unless your area recycles them. |
| Photos, letters and family pieces | Keep | Keep the best ones in a set container. Offer the rest to relatives first. |
General information. Rules for recycling and hazardous waste vary by city and county. Check your local waste service's website, and call donation centers before you drop off.
Before you drop it off
Donate items washed and working. Charities pay to dispose of what they can't use.
Ask what they accept. Many don't take mattresses, car seats or recalled items.
Back up, sign out and reset phones and computers.
Take bags out of the house the day you fill them.
Read where to donate, selling your things safely and recycling electronics and batteries, or plan your time with the declutter planner.