While the weather this time of the year can keep us guessing, spring is just around the corner. You may be starting to do some spring cleaning and organizing. As you work on decluttering this spring it’s important to donate usable goods so they can have a second life. But it is important to make sure that what you are donating is actually still usable. It’s not fair to burden donation locations with goods that cannot be reused. Ultimately, you are just burdening them with the responsibility of disposing of your garbage. So how do you know what can/should be donated? As a rule of thumb, consider if you would want to purchase this item at a reuse location. Items should not be stained, broken, or missing pieces. All items should be clean and in good condition.

If an item ultimately is not suitable for donation ask yourself why. Taking some time as you dispose of items allows you to consider behavior changes for the future that can help to prevent waste. Buy less, buy used, repair instead of recycling.

What’s even better than donating items? Finding a way to reuse them yourself helps to save resources, times, and money. Get creative and think outside the box for how to reuse an item. Learn how to mend or repair clothing, or take it to a tailor/seamstress. Learn to rewire a lamp or repair a broken piece of furniture.

If your item is ultimately destined for disposal make sure that it is being handled in the best way possible. Check out OntarioCountyRecycles.org for information about how to handle all sorts of items and materials. Also, stay tuned for the next few articles where we’ll talk about some common items you may come across while working on your spring cleaning this year.