Now that the joy and madness that is Christmas is over, we invariably need a bit of a clear out to make room for our accumulated treasures.
People tend to wait for the bulky goods cleanup but did you know that most of the material collected through this service ends up in landfill? Before utilising this option, consider selling (see our upcoming Pirates’ Market) or donating good quality items or recycling as a last resource.
Don’t forget the formula to keep in mind to reduce waste in the first place: Avoid, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose then Recycle. Below are some options to give items a second chance and save them from landfill.
- Repair: Before throwing away an item, check if it can be repaired. There are numerous youtube clips that can show you how to run minor repairs. The Repair Café in Sydney North is a great resource as is the Forest Community Mens Shed.
- Donate: Unwanted items can be donated to a charity but they must be good quality otherwise the charity ends up having to pay to dispose of them. Never leave donations outside a charity shop as the charity may not be able to use them and/or bad weather makes items useless.
- Recycle Responsibly: There are a number of different options to responsibly recycle goods. Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre in Ingleside takes all manner of unwanted building material, household goods, ewaste (and any real Christmas trees) and recovers 80% of material. Officeworks in Mona Vale also recycles ewaste. Check out the Recycling Near You website for advice on recycling options for a variety of other goods. Northern Beaches Council have developed a Reuse and Recycling Map that outlines local options for toys, bikes, sporting equipment, furniture and much more.
Finally, for any of that pesky polystyrene you have hanging around from your packaging, Kimbriki has a free recycling drop-off day on Saturday 21 January from 8am – 4pm.
Feature Image: Courtesy The Repair Cafe