Donation and Recycling Guide

What to do with all that clutter...

It’s that time of year …. Time to clean closets, cupboards, and drawers and to clear out garages, attics, and  basements. It is time for SPRING CLEANING. Are you ready to be your best Marie Kondo (an organizational expert who helps people around the world transform their cluttered homes into spaces of serenity and inspiration)? Does everything in your home Spark Joy? If not, it’s time to declutter. Yes, it is hard work to get going but once you have sorted out what to save, toss, or donate, the easy part is where to find the locations that will happily take your unwanted items. Please see the list of facilities that recycle. 

Now the first rule is this - if it is broken, stained, or obsolete, it is destined for the landfills and not the donation box.  Places like Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Community Thrift Stores will gladly accept gently used items in good condition. A few places like Best Buy and Staples will take electronic devices even if broken. Donations should be clean and safe. My daughter worked through school years as a part time cashier at our local Goodwill Store. It was appalling to see the kind of items that customers tried to dump in the donation bins such as hazardous waste, paint cans, broken appliances, stained clothing, automobile parts, and construction debris. Unfortunately, as towns began charging fees for trash bag removal, nonprofits saw their donation bins used as oversized trash cans. There are some items that can not be donated which might surprise you. Goodwill cannot accept air conditioners, ammunition, weapons, large appliances, baby equipment, bed pillows, used bike helmets, bunk beds, wheelchairs and walkers. Check out Goodwill’s 2024 list of unacceptable donations for more details. FYI, medical assistive devices such as canes, walkers, and wheelchairs may be donated to your local Medical Loan Closet if your town operates one. 

Oftentimes, nonprofit thrift stores use the proceeds from sales of donated goods to fund job training, food banks and other services benefiting the community.  Freeport's Community Thrift store helps to support the Freeport Fuel Assistance Program. Other programs like Furniture Friends and Maine Needs collect and distribute household items and home furnishings to domestic abuse survivors, asylum seekers and those facing financial hardships. 

Another need you might not think about is where to donate used blankets, towels or sheets. Your area animal shelters can use these items as cleaning rags and bedding. Blankets, even damaged or frayed, can find new uses cut up into little blankets for puppies and kittens being adopted. Armed with their safety blanket, they can take a familiar scent with them to their new adoptive homes.  

As you can see by this list of resources, If an item can in any way be donated or recycled then it is worth the time to find the right place where my items can do the most good AND not end up in a landfill. A Win/Win.  

Donate

You gently used clothing, furniture, working computers, leftover building materials, office supplies, old eyeglasses, and no longer needed medical assistive equipment can all be donated. Remember, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

• • Goodwill (household goods, toys, clothing, shoes, books, records, computers, etc) 

  • Salvation Army

  • Threads of Hope in Sanford (will pick up large items)

  • Furniture Friends in Westbrook (will pick up from nearby areas)

  • Habitat Restore (accepts building materials, appliances, doors, windows, etc)

  • Maine Needs

  • Maine Homeless Veterans Alliance

  • Ruth’s Reusable Resources (school, arts, crafts, and office supplies)

  • Spurwink All Tech (crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, shower seats, etc.)

  • Maine Cite (crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, shower seats, etc.)

  • Medical Loan Closet in your local town (Gorham, Windham, Yarmouth)

  • Lions Club (eyeglasses - check your local Hannaford for a donation box)

  • Check your city/town’s website for other local resources

Electronic Waste

Do you have an old or broken cell phone, computer, printer, scanner, TV, coffee maker, or other electronic device? It's easy to find a place that will accept these in either working or broken conditions. 

• • Best Buy (accepts non-working) 

  • Staples (accepts old & broken; certain items may be eligible for rewards back)

  • Goodwill (accepts working and nonworking (computers and peripherals only) electronics

  • Casella Transfer Station (accepts non-working) 

  • Check your city/town’s website for other local e-waste drives 

Drugs/Medicine

Have a bunch of old medicines, ointments, or prescriptions drugs taking up space in your cabinets or on your countertops?

• Eyes Open

• DEA Take Back Day

• Check with your local town or police department

Sensitive Documents / Shredding Sites

Are you letting piles, bins, or boxes of sensitive documents pile and stack up around you? Don't want to shred all those sheets in small batches of 5 at time? Find a local community shredding event sponsored by a mobile shredding company. These events will often take up to 3 boxes of sensitive documents and shred them for you on site. Boom, done!

• Without a Trace

• Shredding on Site

Junk Removal

Got some items that are just too big to fit in your car or truck? Or perhaps that are just too heavy or unwieldy to take care of on your own? Hire a pro!

• Dump Guy Junk Removal 

• Casco Bay Cleanout

• Earth Wise Junk Removal and Recycling

• 1-800-Got-Junk?

Yes, it can all be pretty overwhelming, but keep your eyes on the prize. Donating provides opportunities for others, and freeing up space in your home will feel great.