You’ve just finished your first spring cleaning session. You’ve taken old clothes out of your closet. You’ve changed out the worn-out batteries in your tech and burnt out light bulbs in your fixtures around the house. You’ve made a significant pile of unwanted tech and furniture in the corner. Now, all you have to do is take that waste out and throw it in your trash bin.
But wait. A lot of these items don’t belong in the trash bin. Read ahead to find out the right way to dispose of them.
Batteries
Batteries should never go in the trash because they are labelled as “Household Hazardous Waste.” They contain toxic materials like cadmium, lead, mercury and lithium that can contaminate landfills.
So, what is your best option? Collect your old batteries in a safely sealed container and then bring them to the nearest Household Hazardous Waste depot. Stores like Canadian Tire, IKEA and Home Hardware often accept old single-use batteries as part of a recycling program.
Old Electronics
You have a pile of tech that you haven’t touched in ages. There are old phones, chargers, tablets, speakers and a tangle of cables. Instead of dumping all of these items into your garbage bin, you should bring the entire box to this scrap yard in Toronto to appropriately handle and recycle the contents. The company is a licensed member of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) and the Ontario Electronic Stewardship Program (OES), so you know they’re the real deal.
E-waste contains materials that are harmful to the environment and hazardous to human health. Something simple like going to a specialized scrap yard will help reduce the amount of electronic waste piling up in nearby landfills.
Light Bulbs
Some light bulbs are fine to put in the trash bin (incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs), and some aren’t. CFL bulbs should not go in with the rest of your garbage because they contain mercury that can contaminate the environment. You should drop the old compact fluorescent bulbs off at the closest Household Hazardous Waste depot.
Old Furniture
Before you drag your furniture to the curbside, you should take a closer look at the pieces. Are they broken? Are they beyond repair? If not, you can always donate these pieces to charities that can put them to better use.
Here are some places that will accept your gently-used furniture:
Habitat for Humanity
Red Door Family Shelter
Value Village
Diabetes Canada
Furniture Bank
Goodwill
Old Clothing
Technically, old clothing goes into the trash bin. But, before you roll them into a ball and cram them in the nearest black bag, you should see if they’re in good condition. Do they have holes and tears? Or do they still look ready to wear? If the outfits still look great, you should donate them to local organizations.
Here are some places that will accept your gently-used clothes:
Dress for Success
Dress Your Best
Scott Mission
Value Village
Jessie’s Centre
Covenant House
Don’t spring clean your house and make a mess elsewhere. Take care of your used and unwanted items in the right way. Then, you can make sure the world outside of your front doorstep stays just as neat and tidy as your living room.
