Recycling and Disposing of Odd Items

You did good. You cleaned out the corners of your basement including the broken washing machine, but now how to you responsibly dispose of these items? What about the broken coffee machine? The dirt from your old weed-grown planters? Don’t get us started about clothing that no one will ever want to wear again. These burning questions had us hunting for solutions. We’re here to share them with you!

photo credit: top row: @mainlineshift, @love_your_schmatte, @theresourceexchange, @rays_reusables | bottom row: @titchanddestroyclothing, @rabbit_recycling, @goodbuysupply.co, @bottleunderground

Turn to the Small Biz of Philly!

We are one lucky city! There are so many sustainable-focused businesses right here in our own backyard! Here are some stops that you’ll want to add to your errand list.

Rays Reusables, Good Buy Supply and SHIFT - All of these are separate businesses out for the same goal. Providing refillable goods (think shampoo, dish and laundry detergent) as well as sustainable brands for your daily life. Bring your clean glass bottles and fill up on liquids, pellets and powders. All three of these fine establishments also collect or provide info on where to drop off various recyclables, be it glass or plastics that don’t make the cut with the city program.

Stitch and Destroy and Love Your Schmatte - DON’T throw out your old blown-out jeans! Swing by Good Buy Supply and Love Your Schmatte will pick them up and mend for another trip around the sun! Stitch and Destroy figures there’s enough textiles out there, why generate more? They create zero-waste clothing with a punk vibe and pop up at craft fairs and fleas near you. They’ll even take your oldies and remake into a totally new garment for you!

Resource Exchange- Lumber, Art Supplies, Flower pots, good condition dinnerware… these are some of the items you are welcome to donate. Browse the aisles after drop-off and start a new collection. They have an extensive list of what is and isn’t acceptable for donation, if you have questions give them a ring.

Rabbit Recycling- Their motto is “zero waste in a bucket”. An easy subscription service, that provides you with a recycle bin for you to toss all sorts of items in your home. Schedule or sign up for the automatic monthly pickup service. From chip bags (you must clean them first), and the plastics you know aren’t being recycled by the city, to unbroken lightbulbs, and clean sheets or towels. Follow along on their IG to see the impact of all your efforts! They also partner with local businesses like Rays Reusables, Good Buy Supply, Bottle Underground and more!

Lug it on your own 

Philly has 6 impressive Sanitation Centers. They accept items such as washing machines, TVs, mattresses and box springs, and all sorts of in-between (full list above).

Things to note: 

• Only Philadelphia residents can use the facilities

• Bring proof that you live in Philly

• You can use your mom's commercial pick-up to tote your wares but make sure it weighs less than 6,000 tons Residential loads only- no commercial contractors

• You can drop off regular household items once a day and oversized items once a week

• Construction debris is not accepted here. Those will need to be taken to a private facility (more on that below)

You can also pick up brand-new recycling bins at these locations. PHG agent Christian Fegel suggests toting along your patience, as you will need to fill out paperwork and prove your residency to receive the new blue bin (it’s a long story, that you can all laugh about while you’re out househunting together!).

Have someone lug it for you 

If you have junk, and heavy appliances, consider paying someone for removal. Bonnie, our Marketing Manager recently had an old washer that needed to be disassembled before hauling up the narrow stairs. “It sat collecting dust until we finally admitted we weren’t going to dispose of it ourselves. Turning to Google we put in requests with two junk removal services. The first was an online request with Trash Warrior, boom! we got an instant quote. For about $82 bucks they would remove it. We also called up 1-800-Got-Junk. They came that day and gave us a quote on the spot for $159. Since it was quite a bit higher than Trash Warrior we declined. Lesson learned, my husband had to assist the trash warrior who came to remove our hunk of junk. For big bulky items, we should have gone with the higher quote and sat back and watched.”

If you are looking to have an old WORKING fridge removed give PECO a call. They’ll pick up your oldie for free and give you a rebate check for $75. Bundle the pickup with any working window air conditioners and mini-fridges and get an additional $10 rebate for each. 

If you have a shop that has various hazardous chemicals For commercial disposal needs, you can look to The Philadelphia Recycling Co to help you clean up your site or shop. 

Electronics and Small Appliances

The Philadelphia Sanitation Centers will accept old computer monitors, TVs, etc. But if you want someone to pick it up for you right from your home turn to Retrievr. Retrievr and the City of Philadelphia formed a partnership in 2020. It’s fairly inexpensive and easy to schedule a pickup. TVs range from $35-$100 depending on the type, microwaves run you $10 whereas larger electronics like a mini fridge, window air conditioner, and dehumidifier will cost you $50 to remove. Some items are free, but you will be charged a $10 flat fee. Note that they do not take, batteries, coffee makers, or large appliances like refrigerators, washers, or dryers. 

Have an old BlackBerry from 2002, a household coffee maker, or a fax machine collecting dust? Bring it to your neighborhood Staples and drop off free of charge! Keep it to 7 items, please. Note that although they do recycle rechargeable batteries, lithium and alkaline batteries (your typical AA, C, D batteries) are a no-go. 

Apparel

Pack up only your GOOD condition items and drop them off at local donation centers. Want money for that JCrew Dress? Order a ThredUp "Clean Up Bag” and put only your best of the best in there. Choose cash or store credit for your wares once they are processed. All these are great for your cute, good-condition items, but that dingy t-shirt most likely won’t make the resale rack. We know it’s tempting to throw it in the donation bag but keep in mind 85% of all textiles will end up in the landfill. It doesn’t have to be that way! 

If your items don’t pass the muster for thrift store donations, Retrievr is your friend when it comes to apparel. Just make sure your clothing and fabrics are clean- as they say on their website “we’re here to help with your recycling, not your laundry”. Note that stuffed animals and rugs are not accepted. 

We have also used For Days "Take Back Bag". Order a bag for $20 and pack it to the brim with clean clothing, sheets, towels, and fabric scraps. You can even put your CLEAN undies in there! Then drop it off at the post office, postage is already paid. It’s even kinda free as you get $20 bucks Closet Cash towards your next For Days order! 

For Days will take the textiles and process them with their recycling partners. “Most of the time that involves breaking down used product, turning it into pulp, and spinning new yarn. This process produces almost zero greenhouse gas and requires no water. For Days then takes that yarn and turns it into new proprietary fabrics and products. If items cannot be recycled or resold, it is downcycled to materials like shoddy that are used for insulation. Anything that is sent back to us never ends up in a landfill.”

Batteries 

At one time, batteries contained metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel, and silver, which can pose a threat to human health or the environment when improperly managed at the end of their service life. Even when the cells no longer run devices, the batteries can still produce current. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, you can toss your typical batteries that keep your flashlights and smoke detectors running in the trash. They are no longer made with mercury so it is acceptable. That said they still can be hazardous if discarded improperly. Collect used household batteries in a container such as a cardboard box or plastic container. For 9-volt batteries take the extra step of preventing fire risk by taping the terminals before storing or dropping them off for recycling. Mark your calendar for a Hazardous Waste event and drop off to ensure safe disposal. You can even include car batteries for drop-off. Rabbit Recycle also will accept batteries.

Construction Debris

We have a Honda Fit and you better believe it has transported a whole lot of construction debris from our various home DIY projects. Head on over to Rising Sun Ave and you will find the Burns Company Recycling Facility. Drive in and get weighed. They’ll direct you where to distribute your recyclable materials (they accept, plasterboard, clean wood, construction, demolition materials, and mattresses). One more time on the scale, they’ll charge you based on the weight of the load you dropped off. Depending on the elements you recycled, it runs about $100 a ton. What goes around comes around… if you’re contemplating a brick or cobblestone path, or need that piece of drywall that fits just right, reach out to Burns Company to see if they have any recycled materials available for sale. They have all sorts of other plastic, wood, and metal items too. 

If you don’t have a car but you do have a DIY project that has produced debris, there are various collection services you can lean on. Our clients demolished a side shed and used Waste Management Bagster. Think extra giant Ikea Bag that you purchase from Home Depot- then schedule your pick up, and your waste is taken away.

Yard waste and dirt

Fairmount Park has a wonderful secret… Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center! Drop off your clean leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, brush, and herbivore manure. As a Philadelphia resident, you are also welcome to 30 gallons of FREE compost, mulch, or manure! If you need more than 30 gallons you can purchase additional materials. While you’re there, BYOC (bring your own chainsaw) and chop felled trees for your fire pit out back.

Are you already a Bennet Compost customer? You can schedule up to 6-yard waste bag collections for free! They can’t accept dirt or large branches as their collection is done by bike. You can also drop off leaves, brush, branches, and dirt at one of those handy dandy Philadelphia Sanitation Centers for free. For both options, ensure your yard waste is packed neatly in paper bags. You can use grocery bags or buy lawn and leaf bags from your local hardware store. 

This is the tip of the recycling and disposing iceberg. For more information: Scour Green Philly’s extensive blogs for ways to make our world a better place. Look for resources via Philly.gov Specifically the trees parks and the environment pages. The trusty Inquirer has all sorts of articles that will help you use less and recycle more. If you have more solutions, drop us a line, we’re all ears!