AARP’s Guide to Getting Rid of Anything

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Several studies have found that a cleaner, more organized home can reduce stress, anxiety and depression. It’s also absolutely necessary for most people looking to downsize as they grow

older. But as you look around at all your stuff, you probably realize that most of it won’t be a big winner on Antiques Roadshow.

So where does it go? Once you’ve decided what to get rid of, how do you get it out of your house (and life!) without resorting to the landfill? That’s where our guide comes in. We list more

than 100 items that can be sold, donated or recycled. Whether it’s books, workout equipment, plants or a dining room table, here’s your game plan for giving your old junk a second chance.

(And here’s how to keep it out of your house in the future.) Scroll below to see an alphabetized list — and let us know what we forgot! We’ll continue to update.

There are several national groups that facilitate easy one-off decluttering close to home. Always follow safe practices when giving away items — leaving the item on your porch or curb, for

example, or meeting in a safe area, like a parking lot or nearby police station. And if you are swapping or bringing in new items (we understand the temptation!), inspect them closely before

bringing them into your home. No one wants a bedbug infestation with that free dresser. 

The Buy Nothing Project operates locally; join a nearby community to start. Members give away items they no longer want and can request items they are looking for. 

Around since 1995, Craigslist is a simple way to sell or give away items you no longer want and is based on your location. You can email through Craigslist and stay anonymous. 

Connected to Facebook, Facebook Marketplace allows users to sell, buy or give away items. But be vigilant: scammers aim to take advantage of both buyers and sellers. Here’s how to spot and

avoid them.

Another site for giving away and requesting items, Freecycle is used locally, and membership is free. 

Part of the NextDoor neighborhood social media site, NextDoor Free Finds allows members to get rid of items in their neighborhood and surrounding area. 

If you're willing to spend some money and time to get rid of a lot of your stuff, consider holding an estate sale or using a reputable auction house. Or, try these national spots if you’re

looking to drop off a car- or truck-load: 

The Arc is charitable organization that “promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” There are multiple local chapters that may accept

physical item donations.

The national nonprofit organization Goodwill sells donated items in retail stores and online. They accept clean, gently used clothing and household items. Check ahead to see what they

accept.

Habitat ReStores are independently owned national reuse stores operated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations. Here you can donate new and gently used furniture, appliances, home

goods, building materials and more. 

The Salvation Army is a Christian not-for-profit organization. To donate items, find your local donation center’s hours and see which items it accepts. You can also arrange for a truck to

pick up your items. 

Ammunition: For unwanted, nonfunctional or corroded gun ammunition, the National Rifle Association (NRA) suggests checking with your local police station, gun range, gun store or local

household hazardous waste program about pickup or drop-off options. 

Appliances: If you purchase new appliances, many companies will remove your old ones free of charge. You can also check with local Habitat for Humanity ReStores to see if they’ll take

still-working appliances. Additionally, the Salvation Army says it will accept donations of “gently used” appliances such as air conditioners, microwaves, TVs, and washers and dryers.

Goodwill accepts toasters, coffee pots, electric frying pans, irons, mixers, blenders and microwaves. 

Baby items: Donation Town is an organization that arranges pickups for local charities to collect a wide range of goods, including baby items. Local women’s shelters, shelters for people

without housing or day care centers might also accept both small baby items and larger baby gear like swings, playpens or cribs. 

Backpacks: Nonprofit organization Bags4Kids accepts backpacks in usable condition through the mail.

Batteries: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only alkaline and zinc-carbon batteries can be safely discarded in the trash. For others, like single-use lithium or

button-cell/coin, you can drop off at your area’s e-waste recycler, or Ikea. Or find a local drop-off site through Call2Recycle, which also accepts batteries in the mail.

Bibles: For bibles in good shape, nonprofit religious organizations Bible Senders and Love Packages accept donations through the mail. Another nonprofit, Mission Cry, takes mail donations

of bibles and other religious books. Recycle bibles by removing the cover and binding. 

Bicycles: The nonprofit International Bicycle Fund, an organization that promotes bicycle transportation, has a community bike directory organized by state that lists bicycle donation

programs and organizations. Some local bike shops have in-store donation programs, too. For example, if you live in the Pennsylvania/Maryland/Virginia/Washington, D.C., area, you can donate

to the Bikes for the World organization.

Blankets: Churches, shelters for people without housing and senior centers may accept new or gently used blankets. To donate blankets in any condition, contact local animal shelters, or

search for a Planet Aid donation bin.

Board games: A local school, children’s hospital or library may take board games in new or near-new condition. Check with your local Ronald McDonald House chapter about donating board games

that are new and in original packaging. Hasbro has a recycling program where you can download a free shipping label and send your old games directly to recycling company TerraCycle. Also,

see if you live near one of the nearly 50 locations of 2nd & Charles. The store will buy your old games, books, CDs and more. 

Books: Operation Paperback is a national nonprofit that accepts gently used books to ship to overseas military locations. The Boston-based Prison Book Program sends books to incarcerated

people. You can also inquire with your local library or hospital about donating books in good condition. If your neighborhood doesn’t have a Little Free Library, you can create your own and

stock it up with books. Finally, there are around 1,800 used-book stores across the U.S. Many (if not most) will pay you for the books you bring in. Or, sell online through Bonavdendi, Half

Price Books, eBay, and Sell It Back.

Building supplies: Local branches of Habitat for Humanity ReStore accept building materials such as flooring, unused lumber, light fixtures, doors, windows, bricks and fencing. Also, the

Construction & Demolition Recycling Association has a searchable database of local organizations that will accept salvage building products. And the Building Materials Reuse Association, in

partnership with the American Wood Council and the Canadian Wood Council, has a location-based database of businesses that accept donations of wooden construction materials.

Business suits: Inquire with your local shelter about donating business suits and gently used professional clothing. Dress for Success, a nonprofit that strives to help unemployed and

underemployed women, accepts in-good-condition women’s professional clothing at its local affiliates. You can also mail your professional wear to Bottomless Closet, a similar nonprofit that

helps disadvantaged women in the New York metropolitan area. Donate men’s professional wear to That Suits You, a nonprofit that provides business suits to men who have completed job-training

programs that it partners with.

Cardboard or moving boxes: If they’re in good enough shape, you can try selling cardboard boxes on sites like BoxCycle or Facebook Marketplace. If you just want to donate them free of

charge, list them on Freecycle, Craigslist or the U-Haul Box Exchange. Most curbside recycling programs accept cardboard, including broken-down boxes. Cardboard can also be composted.

Carpeting: Local Habitat for Humanity ReStores accept unused, leftover carpeting. For used carpeting, use Earth911 to find a local recycling center that accepts carpet.

Car seats: First, check your car seat’s expiration date, which is typically six to 10 years after its manufacture date. If it’s expired, it shouldn’t be passed on to a new owner. While most

curbside recycling programs don’t accept car seats, Target stores host a car seat trade-in event every year. (In 2024, it happened over two weeks in late April.) To find another facility

that recycles car seats in your area, visit RecycleYourCarSeat.org, a state-by-state directory of recycling programs for car seats. (There is also a mail-in option at carseatrecycling.com.)

CDs: If you can’t find a buyer on sites like eBay, Bonavendi or Half Price Books (yes, they buy CDs too), send your compact disks to GreenDisk, which calls itself “the leading recycler of

electronic media in the United States.” You’ll have to pay shipping, but you can opt for U.S. Media Mail for a cheaper rate. Additionally, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of

used-record stores and pawn shops across the U.S. that may buy CDs (and vinyl records as well). 

Cellphones: Before recycling, make sure you remove all of your personal information. (The FTC has instructions for resetting just about any device to its factory settings.) Most cellphone

recycling services, like the for-profit Big Sky Recycling and the nonprofit Cell Phones for Soldiers, are free. Others, like SellCell and Gazelle, will pay for your old phones. Some stores,

like Best Buy, Staples, Verizon and AT&T, also offer trade-in/recycling services. MOM’s Organic Market, an upscale grocery chain in six East Coast states and Washington, D.C., also takes

cellphones for recycling.

Christmas trees: For artificial Christmas trees in good shape, see if any senior center, church or other nonprofit organization in your area would want one. Some city and town recycling

programs will take artificial trees — check locally. For live trees, many cities will pick them up as part of the weekly trash or recycling collection. They may also set up temporary

drop-off centers for trees. Check with your local municipality. Additionally, some Home Depot stores will collect old Christmas trees to recycle. Another possible way to get rid of an old

Christmas tree is to mulch it for use in your garden. In some states, you can donate your old tree to a coastal nature reserve, where it can help stabilize sand dunes. 

Cleaning chemicals: Contact your local household hazardous waste program about how to properly dispose of chemicals and other potentially hazardous waste. In addition to potentially entering

your local community’s water supply, many chemicals can damage your plumbing or septic system.

Clothes:  For clothing in great or good shape, you can try selling on eBay, or through app-based platforms like Depop (great for vintage items), Poshmark (great for name-brand) or Mercari

(broader audience). All four charge a fee to use, however. Vietnam Veterans of America will pick up clothing donations in most states. Another veteran-specific charity, AMVETS, also accepts

gently used clothing that it resells at its nationwide network of thrift stores. GiveBackBox accepts clothing donations for a number of charities from which you can choose. Just order a box

(prices vary) and pack it with gently used clothes. Drop off tattered or unusable clothing at an American Textile Recycling Service bin, PlanetAid bin or a USAgain bin. And, of course,

there are old standbys like Goodwill, Salvation Army and thousands of local thrift stores.

Computers: Donate laptops in working condition to Computers With Causes or Globetops. Send working laptops or desktops (including flat-screen monitors) to another charity, World Computer

Exchange. GreenDisk recycles computer hard drives, but not monitors. Office Depot/OfficeMax has a recycling program where you can get store credit for your old computer, and stores like Best

Buy and Staples recycle most computer equipment.