H ousehold clutter: it lurks in cupboards, lofts and garages. From jigsaw puzzles with a piece missing to piles of perfectly sound underwear the kids have grown out of, the buildup can be overwhelming. The Guardian’s journalism is independent.
We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Taking things that still work, or are repairable, to the tip seems wrong, when you might be able to fix or find a new home for them.
And yet we keep throwing out what might be reused. Not-for-profit group Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) says half a billion small electrical items ended up in landfill in 2022. So how do you get rid of excess stuff without adding to landfill? We take a look at how to fix, recycle, donate or find a new home for the things you no longer use but can’t bear to throw out.
And some ideas for how to replace them with something new – and as sustainable as possible – when you need to. New prescription glasses often mean relegating an old pair to spares. You can sell frames on sites such as Vinted and eBay , or donate them to opticians such as Peep Eyewear , which takes old specs in return for a £10 voucher.
The family-run business sells pre-loved frames, and does repairs. It can also turn your old glasses into sunglasses. Peep sends frames they can’t reuse to the Lion’s Club , which sorts and restores glasses for charity Unite for Sight , or dismantles and recycles them.
Buy: DbyD glasses made from recycle.