When it comes to decluttering our homes, getting rid of stuff feels good- for the most part, at least. We’re making more room for the things we truly want- whether that’s better furniture, new decor, or even just the room to make memories and be our most comfortable selves.
But there’s also a darker side to decluttering that isn’t really talked about enough- the waste.
Unless you’ve been a strict minimalist for several years, chances are that at some point when decluttering your whole home, you will come across some items that you don’t know what to do with.
Items that sure, you don’t need and don’t even use, but are perfectly fine, still functioning, and could still have some use to them.
So, what do you do?
I’ve gotten this question from a few differenbt people going through the 30-Day Declutter Challenge, and rightfully so.
So, let’s address it.
Let’s figure out how to declutter without being wasteful.
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Throughout this post, we’re going to talk about a few different methods for helping you declutter without being wasteful.
The items tripping you up can vary from anything like cleaning supplies to ink pens to building supplies and everything in between.
So how we tackle those areas can vary as well.
Method #1: Donate what you don’t need
And I’m not talking about Goodwill. At least not right away.
Stores like Goodwill get so many donations that they often end up throwing away a lot of the stuff they get.
And of course donating it is often better than throwing it directly away, but there are still BETTER options than heading straight to your local thrift store.
There are often places or people out there that are looking for donations for things you may not normally consider donating.
Not only that, but for-profit places are only going to use your donated products to make a quick buck for themselves, and they are definitely not hurting for donations.
Choosing instead to give your loved items directly to places or people that actually need them is so much more helpful!
Buy Nothing App
I just found out about the Buy Nothing app and I can’t believe I haven’t heard of it sooner!
If you live in a small area, this one may not be super useful for you, but for more populated areas, it can be great.
Buy Nothing is essentially an app where people help each other out with donating supplies in an effort to avoid buying (or wasting) products.
You can list what things you have to get rid of, or even list what you’re in need of, and let your community help out!
For example, if your kid has an art project coming up and you need some pipe cleaners, you can list it on the app and see if someone in your local area has some extra pipe cleaners they’re willing to part with!
You’d be surprised how something as small as extra pens or some extra laundry detergent can come in super handy for someone nearby!
Using this app is a great way to declutter without being wasteful!
Local charities
Most of us immediately think of our local thrift stores when we have items to get rid of, and don’t even consider nearby charities.
But non-profits and organizations nearby are often the ones that can use your help and donations the most.
Animal shelters often use cleaning supplies, blankets and pillows, and more.
Domestic violence and women’s shelters are often on the lookout for things like cleaning supplies, kitchen appliances or tools, clothing (for adults and children), bedding, dishes, beauty and hygiene products, food, diapers, home decor and things like bathroom linens, hobby supplies, and so much more.
Local churches may collect donated items for a variety of causes like foster children, the unhoused community, and more. A few churches near my house even have a little cabinet out front where people can donate non-perishable foods for anyone in need to pick up for free.
Libraries also sometimes accept donations! Not every library has the same policies, so always check with your local one, but some libraries accept books, CDs, movies, and even hobby supplies like puzzles, games, and even art supplies!
Check your city’s subreddit to find places in need. If you aren’t sure what’s available in your local area, ask on your town’s subreddit (if that exists). A simple prompt like “I have x,y,z that I’d like to get rid of but would love to give them to someone who can use them rather than throwing them away. Is there anywhere local that I can donate items like these?”
People you know
If you have some things to get rid of, why not see if someone you know could use them before throwing them away?
For example, if you have school supplies, check with teachers you may know to see if they could use your still working pens, pencils, markers, glues, etc. for their classrooms.
Here in America, where teachers unfortunately are left to buy many of their own school supplies, things like this from the community often come in really handy!
Or make a post on Facebook asking if any of your friends/family could use x,y,z that you have to get rid of.
Often if we list something as ‘free’, there is a good chance someone can and will claim it!
Another fun thing that kind of fits into this category is to do a ‘swap’ with your friends or family. If a few of you can declutter your homes/closets around the same time, then set a date and bring some snacks and have everyone go through all of the items and swap!
This can be a super fun way to give a second life to items you don’t need anymore while also maybe even getting some new-to-you items from your friends!
Psssst…. Like this post? You’d also like: 7 Decluttering Hacks that Will Make You Finally Love Cleaning
Method #2: Sell what you don’t need
It’s of course an added perk if you are able to get some extra cash for your used items! But there are so many more selling options than most people know.
Of course there’s the classic option of selling your stuff on Facebook Marketplace, but I’ve sold enough things on there to know that it’s not the most ideal option, especially as a woman (so many creeps!).
So we’re going to go over some safer and honestly probably less stressful options for selling your unwanted things.
If you want to sell items you’ve decluttered without being wasteful, selling is a solid option worth considering.
Where to sell books & some hobby items
If you’re getting rid of books, you have a few options. Thrift Books is a well-known site for getting books on a budget, and they also buy! You can check out their seller information here.
Another option for selling used books, and even some things like games, movies, CDs, etc is local bookstores! Many book stores will offer cash, while some offer store credit. We have one in my area called 2nd & Charles, which is a chain with many stores across the US, that buys all sorts of items from books to games and even instruments. You can check out their seller’s page here.
If you have things like games or even gaming systems, and also movies, CDs, or things most people consider ‘nerdy’ to sell, you can also check out stores like Super Mega Replay. My husband and I have sold everything from video games to DVD players and Pokemon cards there and made some easy cash!
Where to sell clothing
If you have clothing to get rid of, you have quite a few options.
Luckily for us, and the planet, there are plenty of places that sell and buy gently used clothing. Depending on what area you’re in, stores like Plato’s Closet or StyleEncore buy teen & adult clothing, while places like Once Upon a Child buy kids clothing. And depending on the quality of style of your clothes, you can actually make pretty decent money!
There are also online stores like thredUp, or places you can sell directly to others like PoshMark.
Where to sell electronics & office supplies
There are surprisingly a lot of places that will buy, or at least give store credit for, electronics and things like wires and chargers. Here are a few:
Costco has a program called Phobio where they buy electronics in exchange for a Costco Shop Card
Best Buy has a trade-in program where you can trade in a variety of electronics and accessories in exchange for a gift card.
Staples has a recycling program where you can turn in old school supplies, office supplies, printer ink, batteries and so much more. This recycling gives you Staples rewards points. Not the best perk on the list, but still better than sitting on items you won’t ever use!
Where to sell other items
There are obviously so many items you may have that we didn’t mention, so let’s just talk about a few ways you can sell miscellaneous items.
eBay. Yes, eBay is still a thing, and you can actually make some pretty good money from it if you know what you’re doing.
Have a garage sale. If you have a lot of things to sell, or could maybe partner with a friend who also has some things of their own, host a garage sell! This is a great way to give your items a fair chance at bringing you some extra money, and also letting someone who might need those things get them for a fair price!
Method #3: Reuse and/or recycle
I get that decluttering is all about getting items OUT of your home and creating more space, so you may be saying “I don’t want this junk at all!”, but hear me out.
What if some of your stuff could be put to good use for other projects?
Now proceed with caution here- I myself have gotten caught up in the ‘I might use this someday for something’ and then ended up with shelves full of ‘maybe materials’ that I never look at again.
That’s not what I’m talking about here.
What I’m talking about is intentionally using something you have on hand, and doing so in a way that doesn’t require you to hold onto it for several years before getting around to the project.
A few of my favorite ways to do this:
→ Junk journals. Junk journals are something I’m only recently discovering, but I LOVE the idea of. It’s basically a type of journaling/scrapbooking where you’re just using random things you have on hand and trying to make something cool out of it. It’s real scrappy and causes you to be creative and it’s wonderful! Here are a few inspirational ideas from Pinterest.
→ Kids projects. If you have kids, find some way to practice some creativity with them! One of my favorite online accounts is @sibster, where they’re always doing crafts with their kids using materials from around the house or outside. It’s so cute and so inspiring!
→ Find your own inspo online. If you have a certain item you don’t use, try looking up ‘diy crafts with [item]’ and see what comes up! You’d be surprised how creative some people have gotten with the most random materials.
Method #4: Allow yourself one tote
Or a basket or a drawer, or whatever storage vessel you’d prefer. But the goal here is to give yourself ONE area where you’re allowed to keep the junk that you really don’t need (and haven’t needed) but can’t get yourself to part with.
I understand that there may not be a market for everything you have to get rid of. Selling it or even giving it away for free may not always been an option.
So if in those circumstances, throwing it away is not what you want to do, then allow yourself that one storage area to keep these items. All the items that fit this category can be put in this tote or basket or drawer and kept there should you need them again anytime.
And as a bonus, give yourself a date. Put it in your phone’s calendar or do something so that maybe 1 year from now, you reopen that tote and actually notice what you’ve used (or not used) in the past year.
If a year from now, that tote is being opened for the first time, then maybe that’s a good sign you can let go of those items for good.
The emotional side of decluttering
Decluttering isn’t always the easiest task, especially emotionally.
There’s so much that goes into getting rid of things we own- memories that the items hold, the sentiment behind certain belongings, or even just the guilt of getting rid of perfectly functional things.
If we don’t have a plan in place for what we can do with the items we choose to declutter, we’re much more likely to just hold onto those items, even if we don’t need them.
Being able to give our belongings a second life, or give them to someone who can actually use them, is an amazing way for us to make peace with letting them go while also doing some good.
I hope this post has helped you figure out what to do with your decluttered items, and shown you that it’s possible to declutter without being wasteful.
Is there something you struggle with when decluttering? Let me know in the comments!
Want to join the 30-day decluttering challenge and start tackling the clutter in your life? You can join here → Join the challenge
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