Spring Cleaning: Your Guide to Eco-Friendly Disposal

Every spring, the urge to clear out our homes hits hard. We find bags of old clothes, a graveyard of dried-out markers, tangled cables, and bathroom cabinets overflowing with half-empty products. This instinct to bag it all up and drag it to the curb is common.

But here's the thing: most of what we throw away during spring cleaning doesn't have to end up in a landfill. Programs exist. Drop-off bins are already in stores you frequent. Mail-in bags can arrive at your door. You just need to know where to look, and that's exactly what this guide is for.

Clothing, Shoes, and Textiles

Clothing is the biggest category during spring cleaning and often the most misunderstood when it comes to recycling. Here's the uncomfortable truth: the majority of donated clothing still ends up in landfills. Thrift stores can only sell so much. Items that are worn, stained, or unfashionable often get sorted out, exported, or trashed. That's why dedicated textile recycling programs matter, especially for anything below donation quality.

Trashie Take Back Bag

Trashie is one of the most convenient textile recycling options available. You can buy a Take Back Bag, fill it with up to 15 pounds of clothing, textiles, and jewelry, scan the QR code for a prepaid shipping label, and drop it off at any UPS Store location. In return, you earn TrashieCash, which is redeemable at dozens of online stores, or you can opt for cash or discounts. Their sorting operation separates items into over 250 categories, routing roughly 90% of everything collected away from landfills. Wearable items get resold, while unwearable ones get downcycled into insulation, rags, or filling material. Even the Take Back Bag itself gets recycled at the end.

Cost: $20/bag (includes return shipping)

Reward: 20 TrashieCash per bag returned

Capacity: Up to 15 lbs per bag

Accepted Items: Clothes (all types, any brand), shoes, handbags/purses, accessories/hats, towels/linens, bedding, socks & underwear, and outerwear & swimwear.

Heads up: Items must be clean and dry. This program is US-only. Fabric scraps need Trashie's separate Scraps Bag.

Get your Trashie Bags here: Trashie Take Back Bag

ThredUp Clean Out Kit - Sell for Cash or Credit

ThredUp is the largest online resale platform for women's and kid's clothing. Their Clean Out Kit makes it easy to turn unwanted clothes into money. You order a free bag, fill it with gently used items, drop it off at FedEx or USPS, and ThredUp handles photography, listing, and buyer shipping. You earn cash or store credit on what sells.

Important caveat: only about 50% of items in the average kit meet ThredUp's listing standards. Items in good shape that don't qualify go into their "Rescues" program or are responsibly recycled by textile partners, so nothing is wasted. However, don't expect to earn on everything. For worn or lower-quality items, Trashie is a better fit.

Cost: Free bag and free shipping

Reward: Cash or store credit based on resale value

Accepts: Women's & kid's clothing, shoes, accessories

Best for: Gently worn pieces in good condition from recognizable brands. Not ideal for visible wear, staining, or odors.

Order a Clean Out Kit here: ThredUp Clean Out Kit

More Clothing Donation & Resale Options

If you're looking for additional options, consider local charities or community organizations that accept clothing donations. Many local thrift stores also welcome gently used items, and some even offer pick-up services.

Beauty & Personal Care

The beauty industry generates over 120 billion packages every year. Most beauty packaging, such as lipstick tubes, mascara wands, squeezable tubes, pump bottles, and compacts, is completely non-recyclable through standard curbside programs. It's often too small, made of mixed materials, too flexible, or too contaminated with product residue. These specialized programs fill the gap.

Pact Collective

Pact Collective is a nonprofit with one mission: to close the loop on hard-to-recycle beauty packaging. They partner with all Ulta Beauty and Sephora locations, plus select Credo, Fenty Beauty, and ILIA stores, giving you thousands of convenient drop-off points across the US.

Their recycling process routes items through four pathways: mechanical recycling (into new packaging or durable goods), molecular recycling (broken down to chemical monomers), waste-to-concrete/energy conversion, or donation to art programs. Pact materials never go to landfill.

What Pact Accepts: Lipstick tubes, mascara wands & tubes, foundation compacts, squeezable tubes, pump bottles, lip gloss & balm packaging, mixed material empties, any brand's packaging.

What to send to curbside recycling: Rigid plastic #1, #2, #5 (larger than a yogurt cup), stainless steel or aluminum (over 2'x 2'), clear or frosted glass jars, aerosols, nail polish, and nail polish remover.

Critical step - clean your empties: Packages with product residue will be incinerated, not recycled. Rinse and dry every piece thoroughly before dropping off.

No bin nearby? Pact offers a mail-back program for US and Canadian customers. Purchase a return label on their site, pack up to 10 empties in any small box, and ship.

Gillette x TerraCycle - Razor Recycling

Disposable razors are one of the trickiest personal care items to recycle. Their metal and plastic construction is incompatible with standard streams. The Gillette partnership with TerraCycle accepts any brand of disposable razor or cartridge system in the US. Collected razors are separated by material: plastics are melted into new products, and metals are smelted into new alloys.

Cost: Free (you pay shipping if mailing)

Drop-off option: Yes, search TerraCycle map for public locations.

Account required: Free account for mail-in, none for drop-off.

Accepts: Disposable razors, razor cartridge units, plastic razor packaging, blade cartridge refills.

Enrollment limits apply. The program can reach capacity and may have a waitlist. Check status before counting on it. If closed, use the public drop-off map instead.

Tech & Electronics

Electronic waste is the fastest-growing solid waste stream in the world. It's not just about volume. Devices contain lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury that leach into soil and groundwater when landfilled. On the other side, electronics contain gold, copper, aluminum, and rare earth metals that can and should be recovered. Recycling them responsibly matters on both ends.

Staples - Free In-Store Tech Recycling

Staples has offered free electronics recycling at every US location since 2012, collecting over 50 million pounds of tech in a single year. Their program recently expanded to over 50 categories, and their recycling partner ERI Direct holds three certifications: R2, e-Stewards, and NAID AAA, the highest available standards. e-Stewards ensures devices are never exported to developing countries. NAID AAA guarantees data destruction meets the highest legal standards. Finally, R2 ensures rigorous environmental documentation. Staples also offers a $2/cartridge reward for bringing in ink/toner cartridges.

Accepts: Computers & laptops, tablets & iPads, smartphones, printers & scanners, monitors, cables, keyboards & mice, chargers, digital cameras, batteries (rechargeable and single-use), ink & toner cartridges, pens, markers, crayons, phone cases, coffee machines, and luggage.

Limits: No per-household daily limit on most items.

Before you go: Back up data, factory reset phones and tablets, sign out of all accounts, and remove SIM cards. Staples is not responsible for data left on devices.

Best Buy - In-Store Electronics Recycling

Best Buy is America's largest retail collector of e-waste, having recycled over 2 billion pounds since launching in 2009. They collect more than 400 pounds of product for recycling every minute their stores are open. Every US store accepts electronics for recycling, regardless of where you bought them. Best Buy is the better choice for large-screen TVs, gaming consoles, audio equipment, cameras, and GPS devices—categories that fall outside Staples' scope.

Before recycling any functioning device, check Best Buy's trade-in estimator. Even older phones, tablets, and laptops can have meaningful trade-in value toward a Best Buy gift card.

Cost: Free for most items; fees on some TVs ($25).

Daily limit: 3 items per household per day.

TV limit: 2 TVs per day; some fees apply by size.

Mail-In option: Prepaid boxes ~$23-$30.

Accepts: TVs, audio equipment & speakers, gaming consoles & controllers, cameras, GPS devices, e-readers, wearables, computers & laptops, phones & tablets, printers & scanners, ink & toner cartridges.

Not accepted: Non-electronics, CDs/DVDs/VHS tapes, alkaline batteries (except CA), and items from businesses (residential only). CT and PA stores do not accept TV drop-offs.

Trashie Tech Take Back Box - Mail-In

Trashie expanded beyond textiles in 2024 with a mail-in electronics program. Order a box, fill it, get a prepaid UPS label, drop it off, and earn TrashieCash rewards. This option is best if you don't live near a Staples or Best Buy or prefer not to make a store trip.

Cost: $25/box (includes return shipping).

Reward: TrashieCash per box returned.

Accepts: Smartphones, tablets, laptops, cables & cords, chargers & adapters, and small electronics.

Order a Tech Take Back Box here: Trashie Tech Take Back Box

Home Goods, Books & Everything Else

Here's how to handle the rest of what comes up during a typical spring cleaning.

Books

Donate to your local public library, drop them at a Little Free Library, or sell them to a used bookstore. ThriftBooks and BookScouter offer mail-in buyback for textbooks and higher-value titles. For children's books, check with local pediatric clinics or Reach Out and Read, which distributes books to low-income children through doctor visits.

Furniture

Try to rehome before disposal. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist Free, and Freecycle.org are excellent for same-day pickup.

Towels & Linens (worn or torn)

Animal shelters are constantly in need of towels, blankets, and bedding, even worn ones. Call your local humane society first. Anything in decent condition can go in a Trashie Take Back Bag.

Candles & Glassware

Thrift stores and Buy Nothing groups are the easiest path for functional items. Clear glass bottles and jars are typically recyclable curbside, but check your local program guidelines.

Cleaning Products

Don't pour chemical cleaners down the drain. Find your local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) drop-off at earth911.com by searching your zip code and material type. Many municipalities hold free HHW drop-off events in spring.

Toys

Donate gently used toys to local shelters, Ronald McDonald Houses, or pediatric hospital units. For broken plastic toys, check TerraCycle for an active brigade, as they run seasonal toy collection programs.

Eyeglasses

Lions Club International has drop boxes at many Walmart Vision Centers and LensCrafters locations. New Eyes for the Needy also accepts glasses by mail and distributes them to people who need vision correction.

Small Appliances

Goodwill and Salvation Army accept small appliances in working condition. Best Buy recycles most electronics regardless of condition. For large appliances, check if your city offers a bulky item pickup with recycling.

More Home Goods Donation Resources

For additional resources, consider local charities, community centers, or online platforms that facilitate donations. Every little effort counts toward a more sustainable future.

By taking these steps, we can make our spring cleaning not just a seasonal chore, but a meaningful contribution to a greener planet.