Decluttering Your Space: What to do with all that stuff

It happens to all of us: little piles turn into big piles, and then it’s time to declutter. There’s plenty of advice out there that’s great for getting started, but sometimes the hardest part is just figuring out how to get the stuff you don’t need out of your home without unnecessarily adding it to a landfill.

I went through this myself recently, and here’s some of what I learned. Perhaps these tips will help you dig into some overdue tidying tasks and learn to love your space again, too. Note that some of these tips are specific to Mississauga; if you’re located elsewhere, check with your municipality for similar programs.

Clothing: Simple items can go to your local Value Village, Salvation Army, or similar donation centre. But underused designer labels and high-value handbags don’t need to be given up for free. Poshmark comes recommended as an online marketplace for high-end second-hand items and takes 20% of the final sale price as a fee. Mississauga also has several consignment stores worth exploring: Style Encore at Hurontario and Bristol and It’s Our Little Secret in Port Credit are both well-rated, and there’s a location of consignment chain Plato’s Closet on Dundas St. East near Highway 427. 

Items with value: eBay is decent for selling things with broad interest such as collectibles or video games, but it can be frustrating to get started and tricky to make a profit. A local reseller focused on your type of merchandise may offer you less, but you’ll save a lot of hassle. Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace can be good alternatives, especially if you dig a little and find Facebook buy and sell groups for your neighbourhood, where you might have better luck reselling items like furniture and working appliances.

Unwanted items with life left in them: Have a desk that’s seen better days? A bag full of clothes hangers? Dishes that aren’t your style? Consider checking out your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook. I cleared out a bunch of stuff this way, and it all went to happy homes with people who were mostly friendly, punctual, and just as pleased to keep useful items out of landfills. (But be alert to scams and cautious when giving out your address online.)

Bulky items: Many large and small appliances that are no longer working, as well as electronics like old computers or mobile phones, can be taken to a Community Recycling Centre (CRC), often free of charge. The Region of Peel maintains a website (https://www.peelregion.ca/scripts/waste/how-to-sort-your-waste.pl) where you can search for how to dispose of a specific unwanted item. Be sure to erase any personal information from electronic devices first!

Batteries: These should never go in the garbage as they will leak toxic chemicals over time. You can leave them at the curb with your household waste twice a year on battery pickup day, take them to a CRC free of charge, or visit call2recycle.ca to find a drop-off point that’s convenient for you.

Shredded paper: The Canada Revenue Agency requires financial records to be kept for six years. This means you can shred anything older, and you can get rid of even more paper by scanning digital copies of more recent documents so they can be shredded as well. In Mississauga, shredded paper is considered organic waste and can go in your green bin.

Trash: Inevitably, you’ll end up with some garbage. If it’s more than you can fit in your grey bin, you can take it to a CRC. Here’s how it works: your vehicle is weighed on the way in, you show proof of residence in Peel Region, and then you dispose of your items by sorting it into bins such as wood, metal, concrete, and trash. Your vehicle is weighed again on the way out, and you pay $6 for the first 50 kilograms of difference and another 12.2 cents per additional kilogram. It’s a small price to pay for a tidy and organized home!