There’s an old saying that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. The more time I spend decluttering, the more I see the truth in that saying. But decluttering doesn’t mean filling the landfill. Read on for six ways you can turn your junk into treasure—for you or someone else.
This post was originally published in September 2020 and updated in July 2023.
You can declutter without filling the landfill
In my early decluttering days, I read a lot of books about decluttering and organizing your life. Of course, the go-to book on decluttering is the one written by Marie Kondo. I admit, the eco crusader in me cringed when I read her constant references to throwing things away. She takes so much pride in the number of garbage bags her clients have filled under her direction. For me, the thought of just dumping unwanted items in the landfill is actually quite disturbing.
The challenge is how to declutter without adding to our waste problem. My view is that I created this mess, so I need to find responsible ways of discarding my junk. Sending dozens of bags of garbage to the landfill is not the life-changing approach I’m looking for.
6 ways to turn your junk into treasure
There is a better way to breathe life into old junk. With that in mind, here are six ways to turn your junk into treasure for someone else.
Sell your stuff online
When my kids were small, I used to sell their old toys on our ad page at work. The girls loved when I went to work with their old stuff and came home with cash. Over time, we used this as a way to raise money for charity.
Selling online is the obvious choice that a lot of people go for if they have things to get rid of. There are lots of online forums to help people sell second-hand goods. Kijiji, eBay, Facebook Marketplace and LetGo are all examples of online marketplaces.
I see the appeal of turning your junk into cash. But for me, unless I had something really valuable to sell, the few dollars I’d make from selling my things online isn’t worth the time and effort it would take.
Have a garage sale
Another option is to have a garage sale. I’ve never been a fan of garage sales. In the time we’ve owned our house, we’ve had a grand total of one garage sale. My kids decided it would be a good way to raise funds for the Terry Fox Run for cancer research so how could I refuse?
Again, a garage sale is a lot of work. Dragging everything out into the garage or driveway, sitting there for hours on end and praying it doesn’t rain isn’t my idea of fun. It also makes me sad when people offer to pay ten cents for something that clearly has much more value.
Even if your garage sale is a success, at the end of the day you’ve still got junk to dispose of.
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Give things away to your family
You may have a family member who can use some of your old stuff. That’s definitely the case at this time of year when students are moving into their new digs for the school year.
If a family member really needs something you’re getting rid of, that’s great. But forcing your possessions onto family and friends who don’t want them is a really bad idea. On this front, I agree—in principle— with Marie Kondo when she says, “What you don’t need, your family doesn’t either”. We all have those relatives who send us away with stuff we don’t want every time we visit. Then, we have the guilt of getting rid of their stuff.
Donate to charity
There are lots of charities who will take donations.
Charity shops are great but, don’t use them as a dumping ground. If your clothing is stained or ripped, don’t donate it. It will just end up being shipped overseas and burned (see Why it’s time to ditch fast fashion for the truth about what happens to a lot of the clothing we donate). Instead, turn old clothing into rags or donate to an organization that wants it.
An alternative to charity shops is to donate your items to women’s shelters, or charities that help the homeless. They might be grateful for your worn winter coat or boots.
Drop your books at a Little Free Library
Chances are there’s a Little Free Library in your neighbourhood. These little libraries have been popping up all over and they’re a really great way to give new life to your books. Drop off an old book, and grab a new one to read while you’re there. You can get more information and find one near you at littlefreelibrary.org.
The one pictured here is just around the corner from my house and I’ve exchanged many books there. Such a cool idea!
Look for a “Buy Nothing Group” in your community
The last option is one that I’ve had a lot of success with over the years. I found a “Buy Nothing” group on Facebook for my local community. It’s a place where you can give things away, ask for something you need, or just borrow something you need on a temporary basis.
I have unloaded hundreds of items on this page. Most of them are claimed within minutes of me posting them. I’m always amazed at how happy people are to find things and how excited they are when they come to pick them up.
Search “buy nothing” on Facebook to see if there’s a group in your area. If not, consider starting one.
But, does anyone really want this stuff?
You’d be surprised at the things people will take off your hands. My daughter has said so many times “nobody will want that” as I’ve put stuff aside to post on the Buy Nothing group. Nine times out of ten, it turns out somebody does want that. In addition to furniture, toys and household items, here are a few examples of unusual things people have taken off my hands:
- Old piano books. This is one of my favourite stories. A lady picked them up for her 90-year-old grandpa who’s teaching himself to play piano. How cool is that?
- My kids’ old Halloween costumes
- My 30-year-old university text books
- Kids movies on VHS tapes
- A bag of crayons
So, it’s definitely worth a try before sending stuff to the landfill. You just never know what someone has a use for.
An ounce of prevention
There’s another old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. My decluttering efforts have made me realize it’s time to rethink my relationship with stuff.
The best way to prevent the need to declutter is to buy less in the first place. If you need help taming your buying habits, check out my post Mindful shopping tips to save you money for some helpful tips.
Do you have any creative ways to repurpose your old things? Tell us how you turn junk into treasure below.
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When it comes to decluttering, I’m either cut-throat or very sentimental – there’s no in between! I love finding treasures in charity shops, and text books are always so useful no matter the age 🙂
Thanks Caroline. I feel the same. Some things I have no attachment to, but others are hard to let go!
A terrific round-up, Michelle! Thank you so much. 😉
Thanks Vicki! And with my daughter’s move, I suddenly have a whole lot more junk in my house to get rid of. 😂
Oh my yes…residuals from Laura’s decision-making! 🥰
Today was crunch time. Everything had to be out of her apartment. We’ve made several trips to the charity shop this week but everything that was left today, came home with us.
Sending hugs to you, mama. Milestones. ❤️🙂❤️
💖
I am always shocked when people just throw things in the bin when the item could be recycled, donated or reused. When decluttering, the bin is the last place it should go, if at all. Growing up, I always got to go through my sister’s unwanted clothes, before they were taken to the charity shop, I hated clothes shopping at the time, so I loved this routine. Sometimes giving away things to family can be good, but only if they need them.
I still have a few boxes of items that need to go to the charity shop, as when we were able to donate them, the shops had closed again due to the pandemic. When donating items, I always ask, ‘would someone pay for this’, as I agree, there is no point donating ripped or stained clothes.
In terms of your question, I donate, sell, recycle or repurpose unwanted items. Facebook marketplace is great place to sell items (my partner mostly does this), while I prefer donating good-quality items. I also mend ripped clothes (to the best of my ability) and have repurposed clothes that couldn’t be donated. I once made a rag-rug from a very ripped t-shirt, and have even tie-dyed a bleached stained dress. My Grandma always encouraged me to see how something could be saved, as she had a make-do-and-mend attitude. Thank you for sharing these tips! I feel like I need to have another declutter now. 😊
Right. Throwing things away should be the last resort. As the youngest of four girls, I rarely got any new clothes growing up.
I also have a few boxes and a bag of clothes ready for the charity shop. I hope they reopen soon so I can drop them off.
I think previous generations were much more likely to make do and mend. I’m not sure when the quest for convenience took over but we need to get back to that attitude.
I’m 24 now and still go through my sister’s wardrobe whenever I get the chance. We are a similar size now, so we always ask if the other wants something before donating some clothes.
Our storage cupboard has so many boxes to go to the charity shop. I think when we do eventually donate them, we won’t know what to do with the space.
Limited resources and options meant my grandma had to make do with what she had, and she passed that trait onto her family. It was amazing the creative things she could make. My sister, for example, makes some of her own clothes from disregarded fabric, and while my sewing skills aren’t nearly as good, I still mend what I can. It has resulted in some very wonky stitches in clothes, but that does mean I have room for improvement. 😂 I like to see if there is a way to fix something, instead of just throwing it away.
Thank you for your response. 😊
I am not skilled at de-cluttering or letting go of stuff. Luckily I don’t buy much stuff either. I very much like the idea of a local Buy Nothing group. I think we have a Freecycle email group in our town, which sounds similar. The main thing I hate is folks who simply throw things away (“The challenge is how to declutter without adding to our waste problem…Sending dozens of bags of garbage to the landfill is not the life-changing approach I’m looking for.”) Are you familiar with the wonderful blog written by a man in Montreal who is making a (modest) living scavenging stuff that other human beings throw out and finding ways (lawn sales, auctions, e-bay, etc.) to make a living? It is ASTOUNDING what he finds in garbage bags full of “trash” — original (and valuable) works of art, functioning phones, iPods, tablets, laptop computers, money, jewelry (also sometimes very valuable), pens, memorabilia (which others sometimes want to buy for significant sums of money), unused clothings, perfume (which it turns out can be re-sold online), etc. etc. etc.
The best method of decluttering is to buy less stuff so you’ve got a head start on most people! I had not seen the blog from the man in Montreal. I just found it and subscribed to it. Thanks for the tip.
It always makes me sad when people throw useful things away. Right now, it’s hard to find homes for things because of the pandemic. I’m just keeping everything in a box in my basement until the restrictions are lifted and then I’ll get rid of them responsibly.
Some great ideas here. As our children get older we have more and more unused toys. We tend to give away to charity, but are starting to get back to online selling. It’s just finding the time to list stuff that’s the problem!
It is hard to find the time for online selling. That’s why I usually post stuff in the free Facebook group. If it doesn’t go within a couple of days, it goes in the box for the charity shop.
Due to the pandemic, the barter trade became a hype in my hometown. Usually a facebook page is set up, you can post stuffs you want to let go and exchange for things you need. Like your extra coffeemaker (it was a gift but never used) exchanged for baby stuffs and so on. And yes continuous buying will pile up stuffs again. Is it best to ask do i really need this? Do i really need another pair of shoes?!
That sounds a bit like the Buy Nothing Facebook group I’m in. Some people like to trade for other things but most are like me – just happy to get rid of stuff. I agree…I ask myself questions before buying anything. And I usually don’t end up buying it! 🙂
ThankYou for sharing Michelle! I am always looking for ways to recycle items rather than black-bag them,I had no idea about the “Buy nothing” Facebook sites. My current project is decluttering Grandchildren’s play toys – we are doing this together, some items they want to take home, I’m fine with that, ask Mum & Dad first though. The remaining items will go to the Thrift Shop to someone who can play with the toys again.
Cheers!!
The Buy Nothing group has been amazing. I can’t believe the stuff we’ve got rid of on there.
Ha ha. We still have toys from when our kids were small. Time for them all to go.
These really are clever ways to find a new home for old things and save the planet while we’re at it. I have never been a fan of old or second hand clothes, shoes, furniture, but I love the smell of old books. I love old vinyls, etc.
I was never really into thrifting, but when my daughter and I were involved with School of Rock, we made some good discoveries for costume pieces for our shows. Now that I have vowed to not buy new clothes, I may have to rethink, although I think I would rather do a clothing swap with friends.
I suppose it’s about the concept more than the product. Most people wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing a stranger’s clothes
True but it’s actually surprising how popular second hand clothing has become.
hmmm
I used to sell so much stuff on eBay but I don’t seem to have the time to photograph, write the listings, and deal with all the queries, never mind the packaging up, any more! Charity shops are my go-to now, as you say, you never know what people can find a use for 🙂
I can see how that would be really time-consuming. For me, it just wouldn’t be worth the money I would get.
My older son wants to be a daddy at age 8. 😍
Not now mind you, when he’s grown up
Ha ha. I am glad you clarified that.
My house is full of various junk. I try to sell bits on Facebook from time to time but it’s very hit and miss. We’ve got all the baby stuff that both boys used and which we had expected to use again. I can’t quite part with that all yet though. One day I will.
We talk about a car boot sometime but we’ve heard horror stories about people stealing right off the stalls which would be upsetting.
I hung on to my girls’ baby stuff for a long time. I eventually kept one box of mementos and got rid of everything else.
Unfortunately, in my experience, that’s the kind of people car boot and garage sales attract. 🙁
I have a box for each of the boys, filled with art and bits and bobs. Its the big things like the pram that we need to get cleared out.
My youngest is 17 and we still have the high chair. We got rid of a lot of stuff but still have a few things. I have no idea why! LOL
Grandchildren 😉 my little one slept in the moses basket I had as a baby
True! But both my girls swear they’re never having kids. Then, I remind them I said that at their age. 😂
Oo, love the idea of hunting down or creating a buy nothing group in my area! That is such a fun way to pick up new treasures.
Yes. It really was a great discovery for me! I love it.
I’ve never heard of the ‘Buy Nothing’ group. I’ll check it out. 😀
I stumbled upon it on Facebook. It’s awesome. I think there are groups for many different areas.
These are excellent ideas, Michelle. I love the piano books for the 90 year-old teaching himself to play the piano! Those books are being seen with ‘new’ eyes! I just love it!
I know. I just love that story!
🤗🧡
I’ve been wanting to declutter more this year too, but the pandemic made it a lot harder to sell things online and impossible to have a garage sale this summer. Thankfully things are picking up again! I agree that it is so useful to put items on a “freebie” group if you’re not wanting to sell because people come up with all kinds of clever uses for things 🙂
I love the freebie group. I’ve been amazed at some of the things people have taken off my hands. My husband says they’re probably selling the stuff. I really don’t care if they are as long as they’re out of my house! 😀