Columbus Recycling Resources For a More Sustainable Organizing Project
Declutter Without Guilt or Waste
Want to get organized but having a hard time throwing stuff away? Collecting straws and plastic bags because you feel bad? Maybe you don’t want them to end up in a landfill and they can’t go in curbside recycling? Or are you ready to get organized but hadn’t really thought about where your stuff would go once you decide to declutter? I totally get it! Decluttering is an overwhelming part of the organizing process, and most people aren’t sure what to do with their stuff. Thankfully, I know exactly where to recycle in Columbus in order to divert most of your belongings from the landfill.
Why Recycling Matters
Diverting trash from the landfill is an important step in securing a safe environment for generations to come! Recycle Right, a program of SWACO (The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio) states that “annually, Franklin County residents and businesses send over a million tons of material to the Franklin County Landfill. Even more surprising is that nearly 76% of all the material in the landfill could have been recycled or composted. By taking just a few minutes to recycle right, you help to reduce pollution, contribute to clean water, conserve limited natural resources and reduce central Ohio’s reliance on landfills”. Even though it seems like we still have work to do to improve our recycling outlook as a city, it’s great knowing that so much more stuff that can be recycled. This is especially helpful during the decluttering process of an organizing project!
Where To Recycle in Columbus?
1. Recycle Right– A Recycle and Reuse Search Tool by SWACO
Are you super tempted to throw that plastic film in the recycling bin but know you’re not supposed to? Wondering what to do with paint cans you won’t use again? Search the Recycle Right’s extensive tool to find drop-off options for hard-to-recycle items that can be diverted from the Columbus landfill. It’s really awesome!
There are so many items in their directory that I had no idea could be recycled. And what’s crazy is that SWACO has provided easy and FREE systems to collect these items locally in Columbus with multiple Recycle Right drop off locations across the city. After an organizing project I take accepted items to one of their drop-off locations. This helps keep items out of the landfill and back into our local closed-loop economy. Just, yes.
2. TerraCycle– A waste management company that specializes in recycling materials that are difficult to recycle.
Okay, these guys are technically not located in Columbus but we can still use their services! They call themselves “the most innovative waste management company on Earth“. You can purchase a Zero Waste Box from them that best fits your waste type, pack it with your waste, and then ship it back to them. Such a neat idea!
Before purchasing a box I would make sure certain items couldn’t be taken to a Recycle Right drop off, though, since the boxes are an investment. But TerraCycle does offer other free recycling options. If you find yourself with an excess of a certain type of item, such as baby clothes, TerraCycle has over 300 Recycle From Anywhere programs tailored to recycling these specific categories. I love that companies like these exist.
3. Trashie– The Take Back Bag for textile recycling
Trashie markets their product as “the easiest way to responsibly recycle unwanted clothes” and I couldn’t agree more! While there are local options for recycling textiles, I am not the biggest fan of some of the companies that recycle clothing. According to SWACO, local textile recycling drop offs include H&M. Since H&M is a fast-fashion company (and is actually a massive part of the global textile waste crisis) I do not see them as a viable recycling solution. So, since I’m not the biggest fan of the local textile recycling options, Trashie is here to save the day.
If you have clothing that is no longer fit to be donated or even repurposed for your home in some way, Trashie is for you. Purchase one of their Take Back Bags, fill it with your unwanted clothing, and send it back to them! It’s a small investment for a really large (positive) environmental impact. I’m happy to provide a Trashie service for you, just ask!
Feeling better about getting rid of your stuff, now? Let’s get organized!
No matter your organizing project, if you are eco-conscious we can find ways to recycle most things! There are more recycling opportunities available now than ever before. So if knowing where to recycle in Columbus was a deterrent for you to get organized, now you know that this is your time to take back the happiness in your home, guilt free.
If you want to get organized but have mixed emotions with the process of throwing things away, I would love to take care of it for you! I absolutely love the hands on work of organizing and creating sustainable, functional systems for your home. Recycling and donating in a way that best supports the environment is an important part of that process for me. If you are, in any way, interested in investing in a home organizing service I would love to chat! You can reach me here. Let’s do this!
