Resources to responsibly declutter
These are some resources to (responsibly) donate, sell, discard and declutter your ‘stuff’ so you can make room to reimagine and redesign your home. Please note that some options are available online but most of them cater to people living in the Greater Seattle Area.
Donate:
Any gently used, clean and stain-free household items like clothing, electronics, furniture, books and toys are accepted at local donation centers.
Consider whether you would give the item to a friend or family member, if yes, then its a good candidate for donation. Some organizations also offer a pick-up service, check your local search results. Popular donation centers include:
Value Village
Goodwill
The Big Blue Truck
The Salvation Army
Dress for Success
Sell:
For almost-like-new, high quality, known-brand clothing, you can find consignment shops locally or opt for these online services.
They offer safe and easy options for shipping and payments. Some services will buy children and men’s clothing as well as jewelry and fashion accessories. Let go of those ‘special’ items in your closet, if you haven't worn it in the last year, chances are you will never wear it again. Sell clothes online at:
ThredUp
Poshmark
Depop
Discard:
Think of all the nooks and corners of your home that become ‘dumping’ grounds for random things that just sit there and collect dust. Below are options to responsibly discard or recycle items and keep them out of our landfills.
Broken electronics, appliances and batteries: 1 Green Planet
Styrofoam, cardboard boxes, packing plastic, bubble wrap, etc.: Styro Recycle
Make-up, beauty products, skincare: All Nordstrom make-up sections have a collection bins for empties
Stained, unusable clothes, bedding, textiles and shoes: Trashie
Metal, yard waste, paint, tires, wood, and much more: King County Recycling and Transfer facilities
Expired medicine: All pharmacies have a collection bin
LOTS of conscious recycling and waste-less programs: Ridwell, Terracycle
Create a System:
Home redesign or not, creating and maintaining a sustainable system to manage the items in your home, followed by every one living in the home, can reduce day-to-day stress and bring peace and order in our lives. Below are my 2 favorite systems that I have personally implemented and loved:
One in, one out: Most of us are privileged to have stuff that we have accumulated over time, sometimes more than 1 of each. Unless it is a net new item that I need/want, this rule applies to every single thing in the home. If I buy 1 new item, 1 old (same) item must be donated, sold or discarded. For e.g. If I buy a new t-shirt, one old t-shirt must go.
Collection bins: Nothing fancy, but some kind of labelled box/bin/container, strategically placed around the house or garage that hold items that need to ‘go‘, but needs an extra conscious step for discarding it. When the box gets full, it’s your cue to empty it out. For e.g. I have bins that collect used batteries in the home office, used/expired makeup and skincare, expired meds in the bathroom, clothes for donation/discard, bulbs, broken electronics bins in the garage.