It almost seems like the natural order of things: when you get a brand-new items you’re excited about, you throw away the old version. However, throwing away what’s old is a bad habit that more people need to break. Plenty of things can be reused and repurposed to help not only other people, but also the planet as a whole. Here are a few items you need to stop throwing in the garbage if you want to be part of the solution.
Organic Food Waste
If you care about the planet, you could do a lot for it by saving your organic food waste. Compost piles are easy to make, and they’re great for caring for gardens or lawns. Organic material decomposes over time, making for really useful fertilizer. All you need to do is hang on to the scraps of food you would normally throw away and put them in the compost pile.
Clothing
The great thing about clothing is that it never really becomes useless. Even the most battered T-shirt can be stripped and its fibers reused. Landfills are full to bursting with perfectly good clothes that could be going to someone who needs them. It’s also important to donate old clothing because they can find new life among the shelves of a secondhand store.
Electronics
Throwing electronics in the trash isn’t just bad for the environment—they may contain plenty of useful electronic components that can be reused. Before you throw away an old laptop or desktop computer, just remember you can easily bring it into most electronic stores and they’ll dispose of them in the proper way.
Automotive Parts
If you want a little more direct payback for not throwing things away, keep an eye on any automotive parts you may be replacing. These parts can have hazardous materials inside of them, so they shouldn’t be in landfills if you can help it. You can also sell automotive parts—if not the part itself, then the material from which it’s made—to get some extra cash.
Medical Waste
If you’re done with a syringe or a certain medication, try to remember that throwing these items away can be very dangerous for many people. You must follow specific procedures to dispose of things such as syringes and needles. As for medication, consult your pharmacy for what you should do with extra pills; they may be able to take them off your hands.
These are just a few of the items you should stop throwing away, but the list goes on, and it’s important to know what to do with them. Whether it’s for yourself, your fellow man, or the planet itself, knowing what not to throw away can save everyone a lot of hardships.
