How And Where To Recycle Pre-Loved Items In The Highlands

Tips from Gillian of Daisy Declutter & Downsizing on what to do with your pre-loved stuff! 

We love a good clear out and declutter! But what do you do with all the stuff you don’t need or want anymore? We asked decluttering expert, Gillian of Daisy Declutter & Downsizing and she didn’t disappoint! Take it away, Gillian!

If you’re a Marie Kondo enthusiast and have decided that now is the time to declutter, you may end up with a whole heap of stuff you need to get rid of. But where should it all go? Here in the Southern Highlands we are blessed with a whole range of options to give old items new life along with some easy ways to recycle and thereby avoiding landfill.

1 :: Old, unusable sheets and towels

Did you know the fabulous Sheridan Outlet Shop in Bowral will take these off your hands? Any brand, too. So great! Plenty of vets are often on the lookout for used sheets and towels they can use in their clinics – touch base with your local vet to check.

2 :: Clothing in good condition

There are plenty of options in the Southern Highlands – Vinnies, the Salvo’s, Youth Off The Streets, Save the Children, Anglicare, Lifeline and the fab Hospice fashion shops in Bowral and Mittagong. Here's a list of op shops, charity organisations and secondhand stores The Fold put together recently to get you started. Just call first as some places have been overwhelmed with donations recently and are only taking certain items (it seems we all got our declutter on during lockdown!).

3 :: Electronics

How many old mobile phones and odd computer bits do we all have lurking in our drawers?! I swear they multiply overnight! Our amazing Resource Recovery Centre in Moss Vale will take them and recycle them all.

4 :: Furniture

The Salvo’s will come and collect your furniture, as will the Hospice Shop and Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard up the highway in Camden. Mother Hubbard’s pick up furniture from the community which is then passed on to domestic violence survivors rebuilding their live – such a great initiative!

5 :: Pay It Forward

The local Southern Highlands Pay It Forward group on Facebook is a great place to post unwanted items that you wish to gift to someone. They then come and pick it up from you – sorted! There are often Pay it Forward or Buy, Swap and Sell pages for individual towns and villages too.

6 :: Books

The Reviva Centre at Moss Vale’s Resource Recovery Centre take second-hand books, but they must be in very good condition. Other local charity shops will also take books but call first – like we said before, they’ve been inundated with donations in recent months, so some aren’t in the position to keep accepting certain goods.

7:: eBay

Don’t be surprised about what people will buy! This is slightly embarrassing to tell you guys, but I had carted my Dolly magazine collection around for years. I finally decided to part with it and listed it on eBay. Turns out they were quite popular, a bidding war started, and my well-loved magazines sold for a few hundred dollars – fab!

8 :: Bricks and mortar stores

If you’re not an online fan, here’s a selection of places in the Highlands that will buy all sorts of things outright or on consignment:

• The Everything Store, Sutton Forest
• R&R Recycled & Retro, Bundanoon
• Twisting Vintage, Mittagong
• Game of Gowns, Bowral
• The Antiques Centre, Mittagong
• Albertine’s, Mittagong
• Dirty Janes, Bowral
• The Good Yarn, Bundanoon

If you look them up, you can see the kinds of things they are interested in. Could be vintage crockery, kitchen ware, lamps, ornaments, designer dresses, antique furniture and more. Just another way to keep things out of landfill and you might earn some cash as well. Just don’t go spending it on more “stuff!”

Thanks Gillian – awesome info there! Hey, if you’re keen to give your home, shed, garage, office or wherever a clear out or need some help with decluttering, downsizing or guidance on how to store your stuff more efficiently and effectively, get in touch with Gillian of Daisy Declutter & Downsizing. She not only knows her stuff, but she also knows what to do with YOUR stuff too! More info here.

-- ctto: https://thefoldsouthernhighlands.com.au/the-guide/how-and-where-to-recycle-pre-loved-items-in-the-highlands.html