Declutter Without the Dumpster

Spring cleaning your home often includes decluttering. Eco-friendly decluttering doesn't always end with a trip to the dumpster. While decluttering and cleaning your home, keep in mind ways to repurpose, recycle or reuse an item.

1 Donate Books - For all you fellow book lovers out there, I know how the books can pile up beyond your means of proper storage. You loved them when you bought them, but somehow they have just added to the clutter and they have to go. Consider donating to your local library, school or women's shelters. One of these places can usually put the books to good use or they will sell them to benefit the organization.

2 Donate Magazines - Elementary school teachers love to receive magazines. They use them for the children to cut out pictures and it helps out our underpaid educators to provide materials for their class to use in lessons.

3 Donate Clothing - Clothing is very much in need at homeless shelters, women's shelters or you can donate them to Goodwill or a similar organization. The clothing will go on to another life and provide much needed resources to someone in need.

4 Dispose of Chemicals, Oils and Other Hazardous Materials Properly - Don't just throw these types of items in the trash. Make sure you take them to an authorized processing center for these items. Most oil can be taken to your local auto parts store for disposal.

5 Donate Furniture - For gently used furniture, you can donate it so that someone else can benefit from it. Check with your local charities before bringing it to them, as some of them do not accept items of furniture, such as the Purple Heart donation stations.

6 Host a Sale or Neighborhood Swap - Have a garage sale or host a neighborhood swap, so everyone can get rid of something they don't need and bring home something they do. You can make a few extra bucks with a garage sale and donate the leftovers.

7 Purge Your Pantry - This is a good time to clean out the pantry and donate things that you aren't using. I myself have bought condensed milk with the good intentions of making pies with it and I just never have the time. I would rather donate those types of items so someone can get some use of them before they are no longer useable.

8 Consign Your Clothes - If you have some really nice clothing items that you just can't part with because of their quality and value, but you no longer use them; consider a consignment shop. Women's and children's clothing in gently used condition is especially in demand at consignment shops.

9 Recycle Whatever Possible - Before you throw something in the trash, find out if your community offers recycling. My city has curbside recycling cans for each resident to use as they would a trash can so that we can have our recyclables picked up weekly. Other cities have recycling facilities that you bring the items to yourself.

10 Repurpose When Possible - Perhaps you have a neighbor who uses those milk jugs or soda bottles in the garden to start seedlings. Find out who you know that has a creative use for your clutter before you clutter up the landfill with it.