Sustainable Spring Cleaning
Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com
Sustainable Spring Cleaning
by Sweiskloss
April 10, 2025
by Sweiskloss
April 10, 2025
Didn’t realize you had THAT many cans of tuna fish? Donate extra, unwanted and unexpired (and not dented) cans of food to LA Food Bank (https://www.lafoodbank.org/donate/food/). They provide collection boxes, a list of preferred donation items and a link to local food pantry partners. Feed people, not landfills at the LA Community Fridges (https://www.lacommunityfridges.com/), a network of independent pantries that provide food to communities in need. Canned items can also be donated to World Harvest Food Bank’s food pantries that have locations throughout the area (https://worldharvestfoodbank.org/).
Don’t know what to do with that cracked iPhone or remotes that belong to a TV you no longer own? The city’s S.A.F.E. centers have locations as nearby as the UCLA campus (https://ehs.ucla.edu/news/la-city-safe-collection-site) where you can safely dispose household hazardous and electronic waste without even getting out of your car! Or if you are running out of space to store those dozen old monitors, schedule a pickup from Tech Waste Recycling (https://www.techwasterecycling.com/electronics-recycling/) or California Recycles (https://californiarecycles.com/) to collect bulk, and bulky, e-waste items like computers, keyboards, monitors and cables.
Make room in your garage so you can finally park your car in it. Junkluggers helps declutter with their stress-free, simple and eco-friendly junk removal service. They sort through all unwanted items, “seeking opportunities to repurpose, donate and recycle,” minimizing what ends up in the landfill. Visit https://www.junkluggers.com/ to get a full list of items they take ranging from armoires and mattresses to barbecue grills and bicycles. Other eco-friendly junk removal services include LA Junk Haul (https://lajunkhaul.com/go-green/) who use transfer stations where 75% of all material is sorted, recycled and re-appropriated; Junk King (https://www.junk-king.com) that also offers self-service dumpster rentals and the JK Dumpster Bag® that they pick up after you fill it; and Hauling LA Junk Removals (https://haulingla.com/), another eco-friendly removal service that will do single item pick-ups.
In addition to Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Offer Up, Let Go and nextdoor, upscale decorative pieces, artwork and furniture can all be rehomed on online sites such as Chairish (https://www.chairish.com/) and Apt Deco (https://www.aptdeco.com/). While you set the price and negotiate offers, some online sites do take commission and service fees. Of course, organizations such as the Salvation Army and Good Will have multiple locations where you can drop off a variety of items including children’s toys, books, cookware and clothing. The Salvation Army accepts large scale items such as dining room furniture and even vehicles.
Holding onto a pair of jeans that are two sizes too small? When was the last time you really wore those platform boots? Re-sell vintage and stylish clothing, handbags and jewelry at local stores such as Crossroads Trading (https://crossroadstrading.com), Great Labels (https://greatlabels.com/), Trove (https://www.trove.la/), or the Posh Duck (https://theposhduck.shop/). Online sites such as Poshmark, The RealReal and ThreadUp are also great ways to earn cash and give your clothes, accessories and shoes and a new lease on life.