HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THINGS RESPONSIBLY? CAN YOU RECYCLE, RE-USE OR OFFER TO OTHERS FOR RE-USE?
Here are some resources we have compiled as we became aware of them. If you have others to suggest, Contact Us.
BATTERIES & LIGHTBULBS
TOWN PURPLE BAGS
BIKES
BOOKS
CALL FOR PICK_UP
CLOTHINGS & SHOES
DROP OFF DONATIONS
ELECTTRONICS RECYCLING
EYEGLASSES
FLOWERS
FURNITURE & HOUSEHOLD GOODS
HEARING AIDS
JEWELRY
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
PLASTICS #5
STYROFOAM
TOOLS
TOWN PURPLE BAGS
Regular alkaline batteries (for example, AAA, AA batteries) can be thrown in the trash.
Fluorescent lightbulbs also get collected by most towns on Hazardous Waste collection days. Or you can drop them off at Home Depot and Winters for no charge.
Bikes not bombs will take bikes and refurbish them.
Donate books to your local public library. Most public libraries have a Friends group that will sell donated books as a fundraiser, then give the money raised to the library for new purchases. So even if the library cannot use your donated books, the Friends group might. However, check your library's list of what they can and cannot accept. It takes a lot of volunteer work to sort and move the books, so it's thoughtful to make sure it's worth their effort.
The Friends of Cary Library in Lexington, MA have a list of books they can and cannot handle.
Donate books to More Thank Books. https://www.mtwyouth.org This is a non-profit organization in Waltham, MA that provides work for at-risk youth by collecting, organizing and re-selling used books. They have pick up boxes in local towns and will come and collect books on request. Any unsold books after a Friends' group sale are frequently donated to More Than Books.
Donate Books to Got Books, now Big Hearted Books and Clothing
Donate books to your local high school. If you have SAT, AP and other college prep books, donate these to your local high school. The HS Library, Guidance, or Academic Support department will often offer students free practice books.
http://www.betterworldbooks.com This social enterprise will sell and recycle books and use the money to fund global literacy programs.
Drop off books in a Little Free Library near you - if there are just a few books! https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/
Note: you cannot put hardcover books in the paper recycling bin without tearing off the hardcover first.
HGRM distributes household items free to families in need. Have been going strong for 50 years, started by an amazing Acton couple.
Habitat for Humanity resells donated goods as a fundraiser in their ReStores. A good cause & good for the environment. Drop off or call for a pick up.
PickUp Please.org will come to you
Car seats that can still be used safely can be donated to a local shelter, freecycled, sold individually or at a local yard sale. See links above under Household Goods.
It is free to advertise yard sales on the HelpAroundTown Bulletin Board.
If your old car seats and booster seats are no longer safe, here is how to dispose of them:
Remove the straps and the fabric. Try to reomove as much of the metal and styrofoam as possible. Recycle all materials separately. Mark the plastic base as 'bad' or 'do not use' and leave it for recycling/trash.
Consumer Reports has good advice about removing the metal and styrofoam that may be in a car seat + links to places in different states that will recycle car seats.
Prom dresses Waltham High School's 'Dress Boutique' gives out prom dresses to students in need. They discreetly give out 300 items of clothing to female students every year. Please donate current, new or in good condition special occasion clothing and accessories.
H&M will accept used clothing from any brand, in any condition. They can be dropped off at any H&M store. H&M will resell clothes that can still be worn; re-use into cleaning cloths etc, or recycle into fiber.
JackRabbit accepts used running shoes & sneakers to recycle the rubber
Big Brother, Big Sister pick up scheduler. They will pick up your donation at your home.
In Lexington, MA each of the 9 public schools has a clothing drop off box on campus. The drop off boxes are managed by BayState Textiles. See what they do and do not accept. They will even take rags and recycle them.
In Lexington, MA, LexFUN runs an annual huge children's consignment sale in the Spring, typically the first Saturday in May. The consigner keeps half the proceeds and LexFUN uses the other half to support the community (scholarships, emergency support, local organizations). 1,500 people attend.
Dress for Success provides Executive clothing for women
Uncommon Threads provides up to 4 complete outfits and a styling session to women who have been referred by a social service professional. The goal is to build self-esteem.
Catie's Closet improves school attendance by providing clothing and toiletries to children in need, right within their schools. Catie's Closet helps 50,000 school-aged boys and girls in 80 schools in MA & NH.
For your community's specific recycling and special trash disposal days, check your community page
In Arlington, MA, Donate to the Little Fox shop It resells donated toys, books and clothes as a fundraiser to support the Arlington Fox Branch library.
Cat lover? SisterThrift's stores in Burlington and Watertown, MA resell donated goods to benefit the Metrowest Humane Society, a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter dedicated to the well-being of cats in the Metrowest Boston area
Ask your local YMCA
Arlington, MA: Drop boxes outside of St Camillas
Lexington, MA: Manned Goodwill truck behind Walgreens; various drop boxes near the high school
Donate to Cradles to Crayons. Find a local drop off near you. Items will be given to families in need.
Freecycle is a global organization dedicated to giving away stuff to new homes rather than throwing it away
ReUseIt is an alternative to freecycle
Best Buy will take three items per household per day. Go to the Geek Squad desk and you can leave it there
Some companies will take your old items free when you buy a new one. This applies to Apple & T-Mobile at the very least.
Gazelle electronics will buy back old electronics from you, with varying prices based on resell value
USell.com allows you to sell or recycle used electronic equipment, textbooks and clothes
Donated eyewear is sent to several Lions organizations and is used to support their domestic and international programming.
Small quantities of collected eyewear can be dropped off at your local LensCrafters, Sears Optical or Pearle Vision locations.
Large quantities should be shipped at the donor’s expense directly to the eyewear processing center:
Optical Village OneSight Center 9924 International Blvd., Dock 22 Cincinnati, Ohio 45246
The Power of Flowers takes fresh flowers from wedding, events and funerals and repurposes them into small individual arrangements that are then delivered to different eldercare facilities in the Greater Lowell area. The flowers can come from anywhere---if there is enough they will work to pick them up or at least meet you. A lot of the funeral homes will now ask if you would like to donate some or all of the flowers. It is a wonderful repurposing and those who receive them really enjoy them. They also take vases.
Best Buy will take three items per household per day. Go to the Geek Squad desk and you can leave it there
The Salvation Army will pick up donated goods They will even take electronics and provide a donation valuation guide
HGRM distributes household items free to families in need. Have been going strong for 50 years, started by an amazing Acton couple.
Habitat for Humanity resells donated goods as a fundraiser in their ReStores. A good cause & good for the environment. Drop off or call for a pick up.
Donate to Cradles to Crayons. Find a local drop off near you. Items will be given to families in need.
Freecycle is a global organization dedicated to giving away stuff to new homes rather than throwing it away
Lions Club and * New Eyes accept hearing aids donations
Check your local senior center. Most have a fundraising shop where people can buy and sell things. Consider donating your jewelry there. For example, The Windowpane Shop at the Lexington Senior Center welcomes donations of jewelry, accessories and small gift items. Monday & Friday mornings only.
Berklee College of Music will donate good quality instruments to local public schools and teen centers, including places where Berklee volunteers help enrich music education.
Either drop off your #5 plastics at your local Whole Foods or mail them in to Preserve .
Earn rewards from recyclebank for your efforts.
ReFoamIt(R) at 25 Mohawk Dr, Warehouse 2 in Leominster is dedicated to recycling styrofoam. You can drive there and drop off unlimited quantities of styrofoam, free, or check their local events for a drop off in your area. Go to the Upcoming Events /Single event page for listings. Call 508-864-8723 to arrange for drop-offs & pick-ups
Donate tools at the Somerville Tool Library - you'll get a free yearly membership, worth $50, and help support a great concept!
"The Somerville Tool library is a tool lending library located at Parts and Crafts, 577 Somerville Ave., in Somerville, Massachusetts. It is available to residents of Somerville and the surrounding cities and towns. The library is open Thursdays from 4PM to 8PM and Saturdays from 10AM to 4PM."
Some towns now offer purple bags you put out on the curb. Items in those bags such as clothing and household goods get resold somewhere. This is a much better alternative than throwing them in the trash. If you would like your goods to help someone else, or to support a local charity, check out the other options above.