Dealing With Junk in an Environmentally Friendly Way

The first step to getting rid of your accumulation of junk is deciding what's actually junk and what's worth keeping. Many people keep items thinking they might prove useful down the road to themselves or their children, but these items can begin to stack up and leave you with little storage space. One rule of thumb says to eliminate seven items of junk from your home every day. Another option is to discard items that you haven't used in a year or more. Ideally, of course, you'll get rid of enough unwanted items so that you can live a clutter-free life and enjoy your space again.

You can empty your home of unwanted items when you start organizing one room at a time. It's important to gather boxes so you can sort items as you go through them. You will want to have a box for recycling and a box for your junk hauling service to pick up from you. When you contact a junk hauling service, it’s important to ask where they dispose of the materials they pick up. Some services will simply dump what they collect on the side of the street, but a reputable service will ensure that everything they pick up will be disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way. (1)

According to WiseBread.com, a site dedicated to frugal living, deciding what to sell and what to throw away are some of the most difficult decisions to make. Even though its tough, these decisions must be made to keep your home from becoming overly cluttered. Just because you don't want these items, however, does not mean that they don't have some value. As you sort items, you'll likely find some that would sell in a yard sale. Having a yard sale each year during the warm season is a great way to get rid of your unwanted items and make some extra money while doing so. For items that are worth more than you can expect to get at a yard sale, consider listing them on online auction sites like eBay. (2)

If the idea of holding a yard sale or selling online doesn't suit your time frame, consider donating your unwanted materials to resale shops or charitable institutions that may want them. You can donate items to Good Will, for example. If you aren't sure if the items you have are wanted by these organizations, you can call to find out what materials are accepted.

You can't keep junk forever. You might as well reclaim your space and eliminate unwanted items from your home now. From professional junk hauling services to yard sales, you can not only get rid of your junk--you can get rid of it responsibly.

1. Fast Haul, " Green Hauling & Electronic Recycling," http://www.fasthaul.com/green-hauling-recycling.html

2. Wise Bread, "How to Get of Your Junk," http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-get-rid-of-your-junk