Organizations such as Goodwill, the Canadian Diabetes Association, Salvation Army and many others will accept previously used items such as clothing, housewares or sporting goods. If you are renovating your house, Habitat for Humanity Restores accepts items from renovations such as windows, doors, paint, hardware, lumber, tools, lighting fixtures and even the kitchen sink.

 

You can get rid of large quantities of reusable items this way. This can be a solo event or organized with the whole street or neighbourhood. In May, consider participating in Yard Sale for the Cure by holding a yard sale and donating the profits to help find a cure for breast cancer.

 

They are reasonably priced and widely read. Consider local consignment shops. If you have a valuable item that you are not using, this is a great way to allow others to make use of it and make some money.

There are many opportunities to buy and sell items on the internet. There are also online organizations such as Freecycle or Craigslist that bring people together in your community who have items to give away.

More recycling ideas and opportunities can be found on the Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO) website at www.rco.on.ca.