It’s easy to chuck an unwanted item or food container into the garbage.
- Finding a way to reuse or recycle takes time and effort.
Why it matters: The average American throws away almost 1,800 pounds of trash a year — or nearly 4.9 pounds a day — most of which goes to a landfill.
Driving the news: We asked Axios Dallas readers last month what they do with their excess stuff when they start spring cleaning or get the urge to pull a Marie Kondo and get rid of everything that doesn’t bring joy.
- We took that advice and did some research to figure out how to dispose of old clothes, electronics and packing materials without sending them to the dump.
Clothing: Many grocery store parking lots have a donation drop box, but here are a few options to ensure your items go to a good home.
- Genesis Benefit Thrift Store, which supports domestic violence victims, accepts clothing and furniture in good condition.
- Network of Community Ministries sells donated clothing at a low price to their clients and ensures anything not in good enough condition is recycled or repaired.
- Trusted World has donation locations throughout North Texas. They serve more than 84,000 people, almost half of whom are children. Axios reader Kaitlyn F. tells us Trusted World currently has a shortage of boys clothes.
- The intrigue: Clothing resale shops want items made from cotton and other natural fibers.
Home chemicals and cooking oils: Check for locations in your city and county through timetorecycle.com. Some cities offer home pickup.
Books and other media: Half Price Books also buys DVDs, magazines and board games.
- Lucky Dog Books offers store credit for sold books.
- Better World Books has donation boxes in Fort Worth and Lake Dallas.
Arts and crafts: Donate to Pegasus Creative Reuse in Dallas, which resells donated items, including scrapbooking supplies, bottle caps, marbles, yarn and vintage magazines.
- The Welman Project in Fort Worth gives free supplies to teachers and sells low-cost art materials to the community. The organization is moving locations and plans to reopen in April.
- Thistle Creative Reuse in Denton also resells craft supplies.
How it works: Visit Earth911.com to find recycling, donation or trash drop-off locations for a wide array of materials, including construction waste and electronics…