Old couches, clothing, appliances, and other commonly thrown away items often end up in landfills. As waste rots in heaps of trash it creates hazardous chemicals like methane and carbon dioxide that seep into the air and water. Nonetheless, there are ways to reduce the amount of waste that goes to the landfill. Whether big or small most items can be recycled or reused in some way.
Appliances:
Small appliances can be spared from the landfill. Unplug appliances for several days to allow sufficient time to cool before recycling. Orange County hosts several recycling centers called Salvage Sheds. However, these centers only take working appliances. For locations look here.
Other recycling centers include CommunityWorx, Goodwill, Club Nova and the Habitat for Humanity ReStores.
Orange County residents can take broken appliances to any solid waste convenience center or to the Orange County Landfill where they will be recycled with scrap metal.
Clothing:
In addition to appliances, old clothing commonly ends up in landfills. These items can easily be used again or recycled.
Cut them up and make cleaning rags, quilts, pillow cases or a bed for your pets. Get creative and make a produce bag or a stuffed animal. Be innovative by thinking about what you need around the house and what your old clothes can be used for.
If creativity is not for you, try recycling them at a local thrift store, Orange Congregations in Mission or the Walnut Grove Solid Waste Convenience Center. Make sure to do some homework before taking your items for resale as some locations only take gently used clothing.
Other shops recycle all clothing types such as H&M located at Southpoint Mall. H&M is one of many fashion giants taking the initiative to reduce their environmental impact. You can also recycle your old jeans at select American Eagle, Levi’s, and Madewell storefronts. Some of these programs (like H&M’s) may be temporarily paused due to the pandemic, so you should call your local store to check. For more companies that participate in recycling programs, click here.
Clothes are not the only type of textiles that get thrown in landfills. Old carpet and pads can be recycled as well. Good clean carpet is accepted at the Habitat Restore. However, most carpet being thrown away is used or old. These carpets should be recycled at a waste and recycling center.
Other:
Additionally, Orange County has an extensive list of recycling anything from antifreeze and batteries to computer disks and smoke detectors.
If you’re interested in being more eco friendly read these brilliant ways to repurpose household items.