Local recycling guidelines differ, so be sure to inquire in your area for specific rules and tips. In general, rigid plastic items like beverage and food containers, lids, and cups (be sure to remove any cords first!) can go in your recycling bin along with paper products.

Newspapers, junk mail, and clean moving and storage boxes can all be recycled curbside; clean metal flatware may also be included with scrap metal. Check with your local recycling guidelines before you put anything out with the recycling.

Donate

Donating items such as unwanted furniture, clothing, and books is an ideal way to reduce clutter while benefiting your local community. Donations to Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange, for instance, provide unwanted items a second life by helping someone else repurpose them.

You can donate items to a thrift store nearby where they can be repurposed, too. Most thrift stores will take just about anything, as long as it can still be used and it’s not broken.

Sell

After sorting and recycling your trash, there may still be items with value to someone else that don't fit into your yellow-lidded recycling bin. Instead of disposing of them by throwing them away, consider giving these valuable pieces new life by selling them instead.

As an example, old CDs, DVDs, and video games may seem like clutter to you; but someone may view them as valuable collector's items. You could list these on eBay or take them to a local consignment shop to sell.

Consider selling or trading items via your community's Facebook Marketplace and online groups such as Nextdoor, OfferUp, and Freecycle Network as these platforms can often provide safer means for disposing of larger items such as furniture.

There are many ways to sell things before you move. You can even hold a moving sale to get rid of lots of things fast. This can provide you with a little extra cash and help you recycle your items by giving them a new home.

Recycle

Depending upon what it is you're disposing of, there may be ways of finding it a new home. For instance, old CDs, DVDs, and video games that have become dust collectors could be listed on eBay or donated to a thrift store; similarly, unwanted but functional electronics (such as toasters, batteries, cameras, and cell phones) could often be renovated and broken down into their component parts for reuse in other devices or recycled to produce brand new items.

Your old clothing, shoes, and linens don't have to be unusable before recycling - there are clothing recycling bins located throughout the Chicago area. You can use Chicago Textile Recycling to find the right place for you to recycle your items. Recycling provides an alternative to disposing of them improperly by emitting potentially toxic substances into the environment through landfill disposal.

When you’re planning to move, you can find plenty of ways to reuse, recycle, and donate your unwanted items. Chicago offers many different places that will take your items and recycle them for you. Of course, you can also resell anything of value that you no longer want.