Spring Cleaning: Donating Clothes, Electronics, and Other Household Items

Clutter everywhere. Maybe your parents have downsized and shipped you all your old clothes and memorabilia. Maybe your child has graduated college and left you with boxes of his sports gear and cds when he moved into a tiny apartment. Maybe you have just not been ready to part with years of accumulated, well, stuff.

But you are now committed to decluttering your space and actually going through those boxes and household items in your attic and basement or shoved to the back of your closets. Being in the "toss it" frame of mind helps, but it also helps to know that items you want out of your house can be just what someone else needs. And, with lots of local resources available, donating has never been easier.

Here is a sampling of local options:

Summit Free Market, April 20 and 27, 8 AM-3 PM, Summit Transfer Station. Bring your gently used housewares, furniture, games, sports equipment and more to donate. Popular items include bicycles, sports equipment, home furnishings including sofas, chairs, tables, mirrors and lamps, kitchen gadgets and small appliances, dishes, pots, pans and bakeware, home decor items and books of all kinds. Items are quality checked and must be in good working order.

American Red Cross, 695 Springfield Ave., Summit. The American Red Cross has clothing bins in the parking lot in the back for clothing and shoe donations.

Vietnam Veterans of America. Donations of  clothing, household goods, books, shoes, small appliances, and electronics generate funding for veterans. Pick-up of items is right at your home; schedule a pick-up online.

Cell Phones. Cell Phones for Soldiers collects gently used cell phones, which are then sold to Recellular for further sale or proper recycling. The funds generated are used to purchase calling cards for soldiers. Locally, you can drop off cell phones at Spring Meadows Assisted Living Facility, 41 Springfield Ave., Summit. You can also buy or sell used phones via the Recellular website.

Planet Aid Bin, Summit Transfer Station, 2 New Providence Rd., Summit. You can drop used clothing and shoes in the bright yellow Planet Aid bin at the Summit Transfer Station. Planet Aid is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that collects and recycles used clothing and shoes to protect the environment and support sustainable development in impoverished communities around the world.

Recycling. Undoubtedly you will come across items that are not suitable for donation--old magazines, other papers, household items and electronics in poor condition, to name a few. There is a good chance you can recycle them, either curbside or at Summit's Transfer Station or at other locations. State law requires that e-waste (televisions, personal or portable computers and computer monitors) be recycled. Check out the city's Recycling flyer and its Recycling Resource flyer for additional information.

By Beth Lovejoy, on behalf of the Summit Environmental Commission