50 Things to Recycle or Throw Away

Since May 17th is National Packrat Day, this seems the perfect time to share another of my free printable 50-Things Lists. The topic of today’s list is 50 Things to Recycle or Throw Away. If you have the packrat gene, consider this your permission to purge your stash.

My father was a general contractor and my mother a Sunday school teacher. Both had a penchant for hanging onto things that “might come in handy” some day.

The difference is how they went about storing their sundry supplies. Mom kept everything neatly labeled and put away in orderly fashion. Dad built a ramshackle lean-to, then had to shoulder the contents to prevent an avalanche anytime he cracked the door wide enough to stuff more surplus scraps inside.

Aside: My parents eventually installed a fence to create “his and hers” backyards. Mom’s half — the part of the yard visible from the house — looked like a pristine park with benches, blooms, and beautiful fountains. Dad’s half looked like a junk yard on steroids.

Truth be told, Mom and Dad passed their scrap-saving tendencies on to me. I’m a bit of a packrat myself, albeit an organized one. I take after my mother in that department.

Most folks who visit our house would never suspect the volume of craft supplies, childhood mementos, handmade costumes, sheet music, board games, puzzles, and old math books I have stashed in the backs of my cabinets.

But I’m also in the process of moving, which (my husband reminds me) provides the perfect opportunity to declutter. So I’m doing my best to keep him happy by culling my belongings, beginning with the following 50 things which can be tossed directly into the trash or recycle bin:

50 Things to Recycle or Throw Away

1. Clothes that are worn beyond repair
2. Owner’s manuals to things you no longer own
3. Socks with holes in the toes
4. Outdated magazines and newspapers
5. Moth-eaten coats
6. Swimsuits that no longer fit
7. Empty printer ink cartridges
8. Puzzles that are missing pieces
9. Lids to containers that melted in the dishwasher
10. Expired coupons
11. Cans of spray paint that won’t spray
12. Dried up markers
13. Charging cords for devices you no longer own
14. Gifts that do not match your style
15. Outdated calendars
16. Stuffed animals that have lost their stuffing
17. Board games that are missing pieces
18. Medications that are beyond their expiration date
19. Excessive numbers of empty margarin tubs
20. Invitations to events that have since past
21. Ball point pens that no longer write
22. Bottles of nail polish too thick to paint on smoothly
23. Old duplicates of things you’ve replaced (but saved “just in case”)
24. Return address labels for a house you no longer live in
25. Your children’s old schoolwork (keep a sample)
26. Dead, non-rechargeable batteries
27. Tubes of lipstick in shades you detest
28. Old art or science projects that are just taking up space
29. Combs or brushes that are missing teeth
30. Anything molding in the back of your fridge
31. Old greeting cards you’ve received in the mail
32. Nylon stockings with runs in them
33. Incomplete decks of cards
34. Cups or food storage containers that leak
35. Shape-wear that has lost its elasticity
36. Tubes of paint that are all dried up
37. Broken crayons
38. Toothbrushes you used for more than a year
39. Make-up you never wear
40. Perfume or lotion with a scent you dislike
41. Canned goods that are dented or bulging
42. Hair elastics that are stretched out or worn thin
43. Spices that have lost their color or flavor
44. Expired licenses or membership cards
45. Yarn that’s become hopelessly tangled
46. Linens that are stained or mildewed
47. Can openers that don’t work properly
48. Tattered underwear
49. Junk mail
50. Stale bread

Yes, I realize there may be some ways to creatively get more use out of some of these items. You might use the stale bread for croutons or donate the outgrown swimsuits to Goodwill. But for my purposes during this move, the vast majority of things on this list are going straight into the garbage bin. It’s time for my packrat nature to un-pack… at least a little! 😊

Time to Get Organized

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