donating and discarding
Before bringing more into your home, take stock of what you have. If you have things you don't want or need, do your best to give them another life before dumping them.
For many of us, the first donation stop may be a Binny bin or a thrift store like Goodwill, but understand that what they cannot sell or don't have a market for will simply go straight into the trash, which is what you're trying to avoid. Be sure to provide them with sellable items only. Ask yourself if you would buy it.
ASK QUESTIONS
Before donating things, directly ask a few key questions. Starting with "What happens to items that are not sellable?" If it goes into the trash or is sent abroad, can you find a more sustainable solution?
Ways to Pass it on
GIVE IT AWAY
Try networks like Freecycle or Buy Nothing Rivertowns on Facebook -- great community resources where you can give and receive almost anything
Give to friends!
SELL IT
Hold a yard sale or participate in Hastings' Village-wide tag sale
Sell it on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Mercari, eBay and others
Sell clothes and other items to local consignment stores like Affordables in Dobbs Ferry and Once Upon a Child in Scarsdale, or to online thrift stores like ThredUp or The Real Real
DONATE IT
Donating directly to an organization that you know will use the items diverts them from the trash or from being shipped overseas. However: don't assume an organization will handle the items they cannot use in a responsible way, so do a little research.
Clothes:
Women and Children's Clothes: The Sharing Shelf, (914) Cares or Family-to-Family to get clothes directly to those in need.
Women's Clothes: Zion Thrift Shop in Dobbs
Men's Clothes: Contact Midnight Run at (914) 693-7817
Be sure to recycle unwearable textiles. You can drop these in the Green Tree Textile bins around town and at the TASH and Hastings Farmer's Markets.
Toys:
Unopened toys can go to Goodwill or similar. Opened but in-tact and working toys can go to a consignment store.
The TILI garage takes working toys.
Furniture:
Books:
Donate to Hastings annual PTSA Used Book Fair and local libraries
Donate to thrift stores
Add to Little Free Libraries
RECYCLE IT
Textiles: Green Tree Textiles bins can be found at Hastings and TASH Farmers' Markets
E-waste: Schedule a pickup with our DPW, or bring your e-waste to the Westchester Household Material Recovery Facility (H-MRF). Learn about E-Waste and how to dispose of it here. Westchester is proud to recycle e-waste responsibly.
Miscellaneous:
Visit Moms Organic Market's recycling center to recycle these: cell phones, batteries, eye glasses, shoes, oyster shells, corks, denim and Christmas lights. You can also recycle some of these at Whole Foods Market at Ridge Hill.
TerraCycle: Join a brigade! TerraCycle manages hard to recycle items like cigarette butts and regular batteries.