At your disposal: spring cleaning sustainably

Posted 4 September, 2024 Sasha Oelsner

Whether objects spark joy for you or not, the act of discarding possessions only puts them out of your sight and mind.

They still exist somewhere – usually in a big, smelly pile of landfill.

South Australians sent 885,000 tonnes of waste to landfill in 2021–22 after all reusable resources had been recovered, according to the Environment Protection Authority. That’s an average of half a tonne of rubbish per person in just one year – the same weight as a 1975 Fiat 500.

Now imagine, 1.77 million Fiats in a pile – one for every South Australian. That’s how much waste we’re producing every year.

So, when it comes to spring cleaning this year, what can you do to make sure your waste footprint is less of a Fiat and more of a bicycle? Here are some ways you can give your pre-loved belongings a new and longer life, helping the environment and people who are less fortunate in the process.

It’s too good to throw away

We’ve all reminisced lovingly about an object, then packed it away to gather dust. Putting the item up for sale can be stressful and drawn out, and it can be difficult to know what organisations will take it if you give it away.

If you’re certain it’s time for the item to be moved on, there are places and people that will accept your pre-loved, good-quality items.

Undamaged clothing, toys, books, bric-a-brac and homewares are accepted by most op shops, from small community-run stores to recognisable big-name organisations such as the RSPCA and Salvos. These items are resold at an affordable price, and the money raised goes to a good cause.

Check if your local thrift store accepts bulkier items such as furniture and small electrical goods. Some Vinnies stores also offer a pick-up collection service, or you can put the items aside for the next Red Cross Clothing Drive.

Many stores are staffed by volunteers, so please be mindful that you don’t give them dirty or unsafe rubbish to sort. There are other places you can donate damaged items.

Closing the loop

The theory of a circular economy is to reduce waste to the absolute minimum, and hopefully one day, zero.

The City of Adelaide’s Circular Adelaide Hub directs you to local businesses who will help fix, reuse, recycle or sell second-hand objects. They also provide information about what to do with trickier items like blister packs and plastic bread tags.

Buy Nothing is an online gift economy initiative with communities all over the globe. If there isn’t one near you, why not start one? With no expectations of payment or swaps in return, you can give and freely receive items in your own neighbourhood.

They don’t make them like they used to

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, many broken or damaged items can be resurrected, repurposed or, at the very least, stripped of all useable parts with the bare minimum left for landfill.

South Australia is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the country with avoidable waste goals thanks to recycling initiatives and bans on single-use plastics. However electronic waste, also known as e-waste, is expected to increase country-wide because of rapid advances in technology and shorter product life cycles. E-waste includes computer technology and accessories, TVs, gaming consoles, cables and printers, toasters, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, hair straighteners, bulky whitegoods, and of course mobile phones.

With new mobile phone models released perpetually, you probably have a few devices with shattered screens or worn buttons. Perhaps they still work, but you wanted to upgrade to the latest model. There are places across SA that would love your old tech.

Mobile phone recycling company, MobileMuster accept phones in all states of disrepair, as well as modems, landline phones and other tech. Many local phone-carrier stores are drop-off points. The Adelaide RAA Shop will have a drop-off box for the next three months as part of a trial. You can also mail your donations. Prepaid labels and satchels are available for order free of charge from MobileMuster’s website.

Adelaide residents can take their old laptops, desktop computers and accessories to ITShare. Here, volunteers refurbish old equipment to distribute to those where affordability is an issue, ensuring people without the skills or access to computer technology are not disadvantaged now that computers have become an integral part of our society.

What about whitegoods and other e-waste? You can put e-waste into an Unplug N’ Drop bin to give it a new life. From Naracoorte to Ceduna, there are drop-off points across the state. Run by not-for-profit organisation Bedford, Unplug N’ Drop aims to recover 95 per cent of usable materials from electrical items before on-selling functioning parts or fixed appliances and rebuilding computers through the Microsoft refurbish program.

You can also head to a community session at a local repair café and learn how to fix everything from electronics to jewellery and toys. Not only will you keep the items out of landfill a little longer, you’ll also learn useful lifelong skills.

Once clothes and materials have a few too many holes, they can be recycled thanks to organisations such as UPPAREL, who will not only take old textiles off your hands but reward you in the process. There’s a small up-front cost to purchase a shipping label, but once your 10kg of clothing is ready to be posted or couriered, UPPAREL will give you a voucher of your choice to almost 80 partner brands.

With a little bit of research, you’ll find individuals and organisations across SA that’ll gladly take your unwanted items. It could be a dressing table with flaking paint that your neighbour on Buy Nothing can sand back and upcycle. Maybe it’s an old laptop that volunteers can fit with a new screen and give to a jobseeker in need.

Before you lift the lid on the rubbish bin this spring clean, remember your trash might be someone else’s treasure.