By:

Nadine |

Spring is such a wonderful time of year! Everything feels so fresh and new – anything seems possible. Why not put a little of that great fresh energy to use and do a little spring cleaning?

It happens to all of us through the fall and winter, and into the holidays – we gather. We not only gather with friends and family, we gather stuff. New toys, new electronics, new clothing – new stuff. But, we’re busy and don’t always have the time to deal with the things that have been replaced. So we also gather bits and pieces of old stuff in the backs of closets & cupboards, in storage rooms (I can barely open the door!), in garages and in other tucked away areas and piles until…

Now – it’s the perfect time to give your home, your castle, a clean sweep! Whether you take it all in one shot or chip away over a period of time, the feeling of freeing up space is, well, freeing!

Check out our handy checklist to help you with this liberating task. If you have any ideas, we’d love to hear them! Please join the conversation on our facebook page.

Electronics:

• Go through your daily routine and see which electronics you are currently using – see which ones you don’t use & which ones are broken, either recycle it, get it fixed, or donate it.
• If some of your electronics are outdated but still working (and you have replaced it – e.g. cell phone), perhaps donate it to a charity.
• Free geek www.freegeekvancouver.org is a place where you can donate old computer parts.
• Regional Recycling will take small appliances and all electronics for recycling.

Appliances:

We expect our appliances to perform whenever we need them, but sometimes their care can be neglected. Each spring take the time to inspect your major appliances for wear and tear.

• The coils of the refrigerator should be vacuumed, and the drain pan should be cleaned out.
• Accumulated lint needs to be cleaned from the dryer vents.
• Clean out accumulated gunk from your oven and refrigerator.
• Clean dishwashers, disposals, and washing machines.

Clothing & Shoes:

When warmer spring weather arrives, it’s time to pack away sweaters, coats, and other cold weather clothing. Storing seasonal clothing is easy to do safely if you follow a few simple rules.

• Make sure that the storage containers and areas are clean, cool, dark, and dry. This will keep clothing in good shape for next winter.
• You can donate gently worn business clothes to www.dressforsuccess.ca and www.workinggear.ca to support disadvantaged people get a fresh start by making a positive first impression at their next job interview.
• DDA BINS – All Regional Recycling locations have bins to collect clothing for Big Brothers.

Books, Newspapers and Magazines:

How is the current state of your bookshelf or magazine pile? Is the pile of “I’m going to read that this weekend” getting longer and longer? Then it’s time to create a donation pile. Be vigilant and give it away or swap it with friends who share your literary taste. While we do not recycle them at Regional Recycling, here are some ideas for you:

• Libraries are often happy to take well-treated books, as are some schools and care homes.
• Donate magazines to businesses that have a large number of people waiting.
• RECYCLE other magazines and newspapers.

Office/School Supplies:

Do you spend time trying to locate a pen whenever you need to take notes during a phone call? It’s a sign you need to go on an office supply-shopping trip or it’s time to organize your current office supplies into an accessible system.

• Make it super easy to find pens, tape, stickies, and notepads to write notes and take messages.
• Have a system for your mail and receipts, and promptly file them away so you don’t waste time reading the same mail twice.
• Old media and orphan cords – the places where these items tend to gather. Use our handy (free) small electronics recycling box* to collect all of these items and bring them into REGIONAL RECYCLING.

Furniture:

• Is it time to repair or replace anything?
• Do you need to reupholster or get it professionally cleaned?
• Is it time to bring it to Salvation Army? Book a truck and get it done.
• You can also try Value Village www.valuevillage.com

Lighting:

• Upgrade your light bulbs to LED.
• Dust light covers.
• Tape down/ tuck away any loose cords laying around.
• RECYCLE old bulbs & cords at Regional Recycling.

Garage/Shed/Storage Room:

• Do you have all sorts of stuff laying around your garage like old paint, broken garden tools, and half-finished projects? The garage is a wonderful place to accumulate those often ignored items.
• Take one section at a time.
• Using the “touch it once” rule, sort items by categories above – donate, recycle or toss. (My own personal rule – if it hasn’t moved in 1 year, then perhaps I don’t need it any more.)
• Scrap metal hiding in there? While we won’t recycle your car, Regional Recycling does pay for scrap metal! Learn if your scrap is worth something here.

We hope you have fun with your spring cleaning! As your ONE STOP RECYCLING SHOP we will take most of your recyclable items, so load up your truck, your car, your bike or your basket and come on down to one of our 7 REGIONAL RECYCLING locations.

Happy Spring everyone! We look forward to seeing you at one of our locations soon!