If you’re about to move home or in need of a declutter, save your unwanted goods from landfill and consider sending them to places to sell, swap or donate your pre-loved pieces.

Decluttering before a move means you won’t spend time packing up things you longer want or use. This means fewer boxes, more space and a fresh start at your new home with things you’ll actually use, need and enjoy.

It’s also a great way to turn unwanted stuff into opportunities to not only reduce waste but make a difference in helping others and improving their lives.

Start your ethical declutter and check out these suggestions on what to do with your pre-loved goods. Please share your tips with us in the comments below!

Towels and bedding

Check-in with your local animal shelter or veterinary if they require towels and bedding to make the lives of animals living in care more comfortable.

If there aren’t any takers, donate any brand of your pre-loved (washed) quilt covers, sheets and towels to a Sheridan Boutique or Outlet store as part of their Recycling Program, and it will be made into recycled yarn and repurposed into new products.

Sports footwear

Did you know that 110 million shoes make their way to Australia each year, but only one per cent of that is collected and recycled after use? Or that shoe components can take up to 1000 years to decompose?

Now you can improve those statistics by supporting Tread Lightly. The Australian Sporting Goods Association have teamed up with recycling partner Save Our Soles to create a national initiative that recycles tired, unwanted sports shoes to give them new life. Learn more and find your nearest collection site.

In-store textile recycling programs

Clothing retailers H&M, Zara and Upparel each have garment collection programs for clothing or textiles of any fabric from any brand, which they reuse or recycle. Some of these programs also accept household linen, footwear, accessories and even jewellery.

Patagonia will accept the return of any of their gear for repairing or recycling through their Worn Wear program.

Always check your favourite brands to see if they offer any repair or recycling programs that will extend the life of the product or will help close the loop on it.

Work clothes

Donate your clean, gently used, nearly-new professional attire to Dress for Success. The charity empowers women in need of economic independence by providing a network of support, professional clothing and the development tools to help them thrive in work and life.

Pre-loved books

For some, the most challenging items to declutter are books, as they have often played an important role in their lives and are well-loved. The best thing to do is give them a new home where they can continue to enrich the lives of others.

• Share-A-Book is a program run by the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation, providing new and quality pre-loved books to Indigenous, refugee and marginalised communities in need of resources.
• Save the Children accepts quality books that that help raise funds to support programs in Perth and overseas.
• Books ‘n’ Boots is a charity that brings books into the homes of First Nations families.
• Aboriginal Literacy Foundation accepts donations of new and used children’s books delivered to Indigenous communities throughout Australia.
• Street Library Drop off your books to your local street library for all to love.

Join your local Buy Nothing group and ‘give where you live’

You may have seen Buy Nothing groups popping up on Facebook. They are a way to reduce waste and recycle items that you don’t need anymore by giving them to someone in your local community who would find them helpful. Learn more, including how to find your local group at the Buy Nothing Project.

Other household items

• Paintback – Drop off unwanted paint and packaging, diverting it from landfills and vital waterways.
• Fair Game Australia – Donate your pre-loved sports equipment to some of the most remote and under-serviced communities in Australia.
• Little Things for Tiny Tots – The volunteer-run charity accepts new and pre-loved essential baby items to WA families in need.
• Soft Landing Mattress Recycling – A national social enterprise that collects and recycles mattresses to keep waste out of landfill and create jobs for people experiencing barriers to work.
• Terracycle – Free recycling programs for various waste streams from used toys and electric toothbrushes to wetsuits and cosmetics and electric toothbrushes.
• Give Write – Drop off new or used school stationery at various collection points around Perth.
• Officeworks – Offers recycling facilities for various materials, including e-waste, mobile phones and stationery.
• Toys for Joy – Big W now offers a toy recycling program including old, broken toys. Donate your toys at your nearest Big W.

Charity donations of essential items

• Happy Boxes Project – Empower women in remote communities in Australia who struggle to access everyday necessities.
• #ItsinTheBag – An annual drive by Share the Dignity encouraging you to put together bags filled with essential items to donate to someone in need for Christmas. Collection points for bag donations will be open at every Bunnings store from 19 – 28 November 2021.

Local charities

• Australian Red Cross
• St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies)
• The Salvation Army (Salvos)
• Good Sammy

Other recycling directories

• Waste Sorted: A waste authority program
• Planet Ark: Find a recycler near you
• GiveNow: A community directory

Make your move with Kleenheat

Take the stress out of moving house with quick and easy options for staying with Kleenheat or making the switch. It’s less hassle, more value with WA’s local gas provider. Learn more kleenheat.com.au/moving-house.