Resources to Green your Cleanouts
Here are a few resources in NYC that we can utilize to ensure that our personal and household disposal practices are responsible and not contributing to global climate change!
Composting
Free Curbside Pick Up: NYC Department of Sanitation offers curbside composting in all four of the five boroughs in select neighborhoods. Visit this link for more information. Below are the neighborhoods accepting curbside compost.
Bronx: Bronx Community Board 8 (Kingsbridge, Riverdale)
Brooklyn: Community Board 1 (Williamsburg, Greenpoint), Community Board 2 (DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Heights), Community Board 6 (Red Hook, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens and Park Slope), Community Board 7 (Sunset Park, Industry City, Windsor Terrace, South Slope)
Manhattan: Community Board 6 (Stuy Town & Peter Cooper Village, Midtown East, Murray Hill), Community Board 7 (Manhattan Valley, Upper West Side, Lincoln Square)
Queens: All neighborhoods!
Free Compost Drop Off: There are hundreds of composting drop off locations citywide.
Visit this link to find an interactive map of drop-off sites and to find the closest one to you, including exactly what items are accepted.
Backyard Composting Tools:
Check out this guide to backyard composting to learn more and find what option may best suit your needs.
Clothing Resale
Do you have clothing items in pristine condition that no longer suit you but may suit someone else? Consider reselling your items to give them a second life at the locations listed below.
Housing Works, Buffalo Exchange, 2nd Street Vintage, Beacon’s Closet, Designer Revival, Plato’s Closet, Encore Consignment, Dressing Room Bar & Boutique, and Michael's The Consignment Shop for Women.
CLOTHING DONATIONS
Clothing items that are no longer of use to you can be donated at numerous stores and drop-off spots across the city.
Stores: Buffalo Exchange, Housing Works, Bottomless Closet, Habitat for Humanity Restore, Salvation Army, and Re-fashioNYC.
Drop off spots: Check out this link for clothing and textile drop-off locations.
Old Clothing in Bad Condition
Re-fashioNYC and RE-Clothe NY both accept donations in any condition (torn, worn, stained, missing buttons, broken zippers, shoe without a mate, etc.) as long as they are clean, dry, and odorless.
Drop-Off Spots: Find collection information and drop-off locations here.
Furniture
Housing Works, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Materials for the Arts, Habitat for Humanity Restore, Salvation Army, Angel Street Thrift Shop, and City Opera Thrift Shop.
Books
Project Cicero, Materials for the Arts, Housing Works, Arthritis Foundation Thrift Shop, World Vision Greater New York, The Society Boutique, Second Chance Toys, Salvation Army, Goodwill, and GOOD+ Foundation.
Appliances
Big Reuse, Council Thrift Shop, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Salvation Army, and United Church of Praise International Ministries.
If appliances are broken or cannot be given a second life, metal appliances can be put out with your regular metal recycling collection.
Note: Do not put electronics in with metal recycling. Please see the electronics section for information on how to responsibly dispose.
Kitchenware and Houseware
Housing Works, Big Reuse, The Hopeline, Big Reuse, CancerCare, Cauz for Pawz, and Hour Children.
Musical Instruments
MusiCan, Brooklyn Music School, The Bronx Conservatory of Music, Materials for the Arts, Salvation Army, and Brothers Guitar & Record Shop.
Sports Equipment
Game Changers New York, Let’s Play It Forward, Goodwill, and Salvation Army.
Tools and Power Tools
Materials for the Arts, Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity.
Bicycles and Bicycle Parts
Recycle-A-Bicycle, Transportation Alternatives, and Bike New York.
Children’s and Baby Items
Materials for the Arts and Habitat for Humanity.
Light Bulbs
Drop-off light bulbs at Home Depot, Ikea, Lowe’s, or another participating retailer for recycling.
For more information about participating retailers, visit nyc.gov/takeback.
Bring fluorescent tubes and CFLs to any DSNY Household Special Waste Drop-Off Site or an upcoming SAFE Disposal Event.
Visit nyc.gov/safedisposal for more info.
Rubber Bands
Do you have a lot of rubber bands piling up in your home office or kitchen junk drawer? Have no fear!
Collect those rubber bands and hand them to your local mail carrier the next time they drop off your mail. USPS thanks you for recycling the rubber bands!
Electronics
DSNY’s e-cycleNYC program.
Apartment buildings with more than 10 units can enroll for this free and convenient pickup service (nyc.gov/ecycle).
Retail drop-off programs.
For example, drop off electronics (no purchase required) at any Goodwill, Salvation Army, Best Buy, Staples (no TVs), or the Gowanus E-Waste Warehouse. See nyc.gov/electronics for more info.
Free mail-back programs.
Check your brand’s website for details.
Electronics recycling events.
Bring to events run by organizations such as Lower East Side Ecology Center, or DSNY’s SAFE Disposal Events (nyc.gov/safedisposal).
Donate or sell working electronics.
Visit nyc.gov/assets/donate/site/home for more information.
Batteries
Bring rechargeable batteries to any store that sells them, such as a pharmacy, office supply, or hardware store.
NY State’s Rechargeable Battery law mandates stores that sell rechargeable batteries (or products containing rechargeable batteries) to collect rechargeable batteries for recycling, free of charge. Ask or look for the Call2Recycle box.
To prevent the risk of fire, each battery should be individually bagged or the terminals should be taped (boxes in the stores will often have free bags available).
For information about the law, visit bit.ly/rechbattdec. To find a drop-off location, visit call2recycle.org.
Bring used rechargeable and lithium or other household batteries to any DSNY Household Special Waste Drop-Off Site or an upcoming SAFE Disposal Event.
Rechargeable and lithium batteries must be separated from other household batteries. To prevent the risk of fire, please tape the terminals or individually bag each battery.
For DSNY Household Special Waste Drop-Off Site locations click here. Visit nyc.gov/safedisposal for information about upcoming SAFE Disposal Events.
Thermostat
When remodeling your home or updating your heating system, your contractor is required by law to recycle mercury thermostats.
Recycle mercury thermostats through the Thermostat Recycling Corporation.
Visit the Thermostat Recycling Corporation website at thermostat-recycle.org for participating locations such as thermostat wholesalers or retailers.
Paint
Donate, sell, swap, or give away extra paint to charitable organizations, community groups, and businesses or online through a materials exchange.
Visit nyc.gov/assets/donate/site/home for more information.
Bring leftover latex paint and spray paint to any DSNY Household Special Waste Drop-Off Site.
NYC residents can bring up to five gallons per visit. See the last section of this guide for locations.
Bring unwanted paint and spray paint to an upcoming SAFE Disposal Event.
Visit nyc.gov/safedisposal for details.
Latex (water-based) and oil-based paint can be dried out and discarded as trash.
Remove lid and use kitty litter, newspaper, or other absorbent material to soak up paint.
Empty paint containers can be recycled
See nyc.gov/recycle
Unwanted and Expired Medications
With the exception of certain medications, unwanted medications should not be flushed down the toilet.
Instead, mix them with an undesirable substance (such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter); put in impermeable, nondescript containers (such as empty cans or sealable bags) marked “not recyclable — disposal only,” and place in the trash.