Moving to a new home is an exciting opportunity to start fresh and enjoy a change of scenery. But before you pack up your belongings and hit the road, you might want to take some time to declutter and get rid of the things you no longer need or want.
Not only will this make your move easier and cheaper, but it will also help you reduce your environmental impact and support your local community. By donating or recycling your unwanted items, you can prevent them from ending up in landfills and give them a second chance at being useful.
But how do you decide what to donate or recycle and where to take them? Here are some tips and resources to help you out:
1. Sort through your items and categorize them.
The first step is to go through each room of your house and sort out your items into four categories: keep, sell, donate, or recycle. Be honest with yourself about what you really need and use, and what is just taking up space. A good rule of thumb is to get rid of anything that you haven't used in the past year, unless it has sentimental value.
You can use boxes, bags, or bins to separate your items into different categories. Label them clearly so you don't mix them up later.
2. Sell the items that are in good condition and have some value.
If you have some items that are still in good shape and have some market value, such as furniture, electronics, clothing, or books, you might want to try selling them online or at a garage sale. This way, you can make some extra cash and reduce the amount of stuff you have to move.
Some popular platforms for selling your items online are Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, VarageSale, eBay, or Craigslist. You can also check out local consignment stores or thrift shops that might buy your items for cash or store credit.
If you decide to sell your items online or at a garage sale, make sure to price them reasonably and take good photos of them. Be honest about their condition and any flaws they might have. Also, be careful when meeting with potential buyers and follow safety precautions such as meeting in public places during daylight hours.
3. Donate the items that are still usable but not worth selling.
If you have some items that are still in decent condition but not worth selling, such as clothing, shoes, accessories, toys, household goods, or non-perishable food items, you can donate them to a local charity or non-profit organization. This way, you can help someone in need and get a tax receipt for your donation.
Some of the places where you can donate your unwanted items in Calgary are:
The Salvation Army: They accept clothing, shoes, accessories, furniture, housewares, books, toys, and more. You can drop off your donations at one of their thrift stores or donation bins around the city. You can also schedule a free pickup service for large items by calling 403-253-0191.
Goodwill Industries: They accept clothing, shoes, accessories, furniture, housewares, electronics, books, toys, and more. You can drop off your donations at one of their donation centres around the city. You can also schedule a free pickup service for large items by calling 403-252-2711.
Women In Need Society (WINS): They accept clothing (especially women's), shoes (especially women's), accessories (especially women's), furniture (especially small), housewares (especially kitchenware), bedding (especially sheets), towels (especially bath towels), and personal care products (especially feminine hygiene products). You can drop off your donations at one of their thrift stores around the city. You can also schedule a free pickup service for large items by calling 403-255-5102.
Calgary Food Bank: They accept non-perishable food items such as canned goods, pasta, rice, cereal, peanut butter, etc. You can drop off your donations at their warehouse at 5000 11th Street SE, Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm, or Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm. You can also find other drop-off locations around the city on their website.
4. Recycle the items that are broken or damaged beyond repair.
If you have some items that are broken, damaged, stained, torn, or otherwise unusable, you might want to recycle them instead of throwing them away. Recycling helps conserve natural resources, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Some of the items that you can recycle are:
Electronics: You can recycle your old or broken electronics such as TVs, computers, laptops, printers, phones, cameras, etc. at one of the City of Calgary's electronics recycling depots. You can find a list of locations on their website.
Batteries: You can recycle your used batteries such as alkaline, lithium, nickel-cadmium, etc. at one of the City of Calgary's battery recycling drop-off locations. You can find a list of locations on their website.
Light bulbs: You can recycle your burnt-out or broken light bulbs such as incandescent, fluorescent, LED, halogen, etc. at one of the City of Calgary's light bulb recycling drop-off locations. You can find a list of locations on their website.
Paint: You can recycle your leftover or unwanted paint such as latex, oil-based, aerosol, etc. at one of the City of Calgary's paint recycling drop-off locations. You can find a list of locations on their website.
Textiles: You can recycle your worn-out or damaged textiles such as clothing, shoes, bedding, towels, curtains, etc. at one of the City of Calgary's textile recycling drop-off locations. You can find a list of locations on their website.
By following these tips and resources, you can donate or recycle your unwanted items before you move and make a positive difference for yourself, your community, and your environment.
Blog provided by Relocate You
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