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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU just to chuck it all in the bin?

300 replies

fedupwithit8 · 28/09/2021 23:43

I have two kids under three, have been living in a pigsty for years and am desperate to declutter and live in a more orderly house. I finally got round to sorting out the babies stuff and have a huge pile of things we don’t need anymore - including clothes they’ve grown out of, toys they no longer use, random bits and pieces like car seat inserts, pram seat connectors and more.

I’m desperate to have a clearer, tidier house as we’re wallowing in crap we don’t use. But I simply don’t have time to sort it all out properly and take it to the appropriate places like the charity shop, the dump etc. I’ve been meaning to for months and it’s never happened because we’re just so busy.

AIBU to just shove it all in 5-6 bin bags and get rid? Or should I really try to sort it all properly and dispose of it in better ways so other could potentially make use of it?

OP posts:
Itsnotallaboutyoubaby · 29/09/2021 08:41

I’ve been there myself. Still there some weeks. Just get rid!

myadhdusername · 29/09/2021 08:41

Dana on the podcast A Slob Comes Clean says not to feel guilty to about not doing what we feel we should with clutter because we are preparing for a time in the future when we can do the correct thing eg clothes bank, recycling etc

rookiemere · 29/09/2021 08:42

If a lot of the stuff is already second hand then it's already had more use than a lot of baby clothes and toys.

HailAdrian · 29/09/2021 08:44

Primark have clothes bins, they even accept old bedding because it can be recycled.

ScumbagDave · 29/09/2021 08:45

Maybe find out what your LA does with 'landfill' rubbish. Sometimes it doesn't go to landfill. Where we are, it is incinerated and the energy from that is used to power homes in the area. It isn't as good as reusing or selling on, or donating, but it isn't as bad as it going to landfill iyswim.

The other option might be hiring a skip which does recycling. I've considered this before as I would honestly be worth the money to get rid of some of the tatty stuff (big things like furniture) we have. We'd need to replace it though which is another issue 🤔

godmum56 · 29/09/2021 08:46

I know the environment and so on but YANBU just this once and yes you are doing great! For the future you will do better but right now the priority is you and your mental health.

christinarossetti19 · 29/09/2021 08:47

Oh god I feel your pain OP.

It took me years to get round to a major declutter of our house (and moving was the thing that finally made me prioritise it) and I felt so much lighter and more peaceful and could actually find things.

If you're talking 5 or 6 bin bags, just throw away. People leave that sort of stuff on the streets every day round here, with a vague idea that 'someone might need it'. The bags get ripped open by foxes and eventually the bin people chuck it away anyway.

There are also loads of people who come to the door offering to 'take stuff to the tip' for £20 or so. People pay this, knowing full well that it's going to be dumped on the street, but feeling that somehow it's not their responsibility as some random offered to take it to the tip.

MaidEdithofAragon · 29/09/2021 08:48

Bin it. It's not environmentally great as you know, but sometimes one's mental health has to come first.

Chicchicchicchiclana · 29/09/2021 08:50

Aaargh I can't bear all the encouragement to throw things into landfill! Why did I open this thread?

If you really can't take a bit of care and sort for charity then book a time at the local recycling centre in a week or 2. Take the whole lot there, sorted into types (fabrics, shoes, small electricals, toys). At least there it will be recycled.

WeatherwaxOn · 29/09/2021 08:50

Can you enlist a friend /family to pick up the bags and take to the charity shop?
If it's all complete items send not random bits of things just bag all together and give it to charity.
Whilst volunteers may complain about having to sort the stuff, they have the time and you don't.

IdblowJonSnow · 29/09/2021 08:51

Take what u can to charity. I quite often drop in random bags containing all sorts. They sort it.
Bin anything that cant go in recycling or stick it on your drive with a note saying free to a good home.

Ragwort · 29/09/2021 08:56

Take what you can to charity - they sort it Hmm most charity shops are very short of volunteers, who do you think 'sorts it' ... fine if it is good quality donations but so much isn't. Last week I had four big bags of children's books, carefully arranged so that the top few were good condition, underneath all the books were scribbled in, torn pages, filthy etc etc ... no one wants those.

I had quite a robust discussion with a customer this week trying to dump a load of rubbish on me, old biscuit tins, broken China, used gift wrap etc etc ... I politely explained that we could not accept it, she got very arsey 'but what am I supposed to do with it' ... when I said she should put in her dustbin she said she couldn't possibly do that .. she stomped off in a huff and said she would find another charity shop to donate it to ...

disco123 · 29/09/2021 08:58

2 piles of bin bags

One for the charity shop.

One for rubbish. Put one out in your wheelie bin each week, then you won't have to go to the dump.

When you're overwhelmed like this there is no point faffing around trying to sell things or sort them any further than these 2 categories. It will just end up hanging around.

Ragwort · 29/09/2021 08:58

weather charity shops don't 'have the time' ... currently the vast majority of charity shops are seriously down in volunteer numbers .. having to sort through bags of rubbish is not going to encourage more to come forward Hmm.

OlafLovesAnna · 29/09/2021 08:59

Bag it up and chuck it out. No it's not sustainable, no it won't make you a few quid but it will instantly improve your mental health and give you a tidier house.

Franklin12 · 29/09/2021 09:00

Dont bother with Facebook and FreeCycle. Never again will I do this, the timewasters will find you especially if you have something large. A friend did it a couple of years ago and although her stuff was free and she bagged them all up and left outside someone wanted to come in a sort through them. The women asked for a cup of tea!

I took some old clothes to the clothing bin outside the village call the other day and someone had put in a whole load of boxer shorts and manky briefs and they were sticking out of the bin. They didnt look washed either...

We have a few charity shops in our town. People leave all sorts of crap when the shop is shut and they are constantly pleading that people dont do this but the lazy sods dont take any notice.

I recycle kids clothes and mine that are in good condition. Underwear and socks - definitely not!

There is something very satisfing about booking a slot at the tip, filling the car to the brim and then in 5 mins unloading it into the bins.

blubbabubba · 29/09/2021 09:00

@Taiyo

I recommend the Unfuck Your Habitat Facebook group, website and book. They are very kind and understanding about how people can get in messes, unlike MN where people are so damn perfect. 🙄

Nah there's no excuse for throwing reusable stuff away. When I moved house and needed to declutter quickly, I put things in clothing donation bins or clothing recycling bins.

No reason to Chuck in the landfill

If you've got an extra week, put it up online for free

FrangipaniBlue · 29/09/2021 09:04

You don't need to spend time sorting into "categories" you literally need two bin bags - one for rubbish and one for stuff that's reusable. As you bag it up put it in one or the other and when you fill a bag tie the top and start a new one.

You'll end up with two piles of bags; one pile to go to the tip and one pile to drop at the charity shop on the way to the tip.

That's takes more longer than just putting it all in bin bags to take to the tip!

VeganCow · 29/09/2021 09:05

A friend who is moving house put stuff in a box outside daily, saying 'take-free' and the lot went. She topped up as needed. sort a room at a time chuck the crap in the garden if need be as you're going through it, the rest in the box at the front. Obv this only works if you live on a road with lots of people passing.

FWBNC · 29/09/2021 09:08

@StoppinBy

Get a few different coloured bags going, black for rubbish, white for baby clothes, green for garden etc and just get in there, quick decisions as to what goes in which bag.

It will take only a small amount of extra time compared to binning it all and you will feel better about not letting everything go to landfill.

When you are done, pop up a post on facebook advertising it for free and you will probably have it gone within hours.

^^this x1000

You'll feel better for not having just chucked useable stuff AND for letting someone else use/car boot it!!

SpiderinaWingMirror · 29/09/2021 09:09

Bung it in the car. Go to the tip. Chuck it.
You will feel much better.

Dartfordwarblerautumn · 29/09/2021 09:10

I’d vote take to recycle centre. You will need to sort it into material type to do that…but that should be quick - a couple of 1 hour session.
Sort textiles from everything else (clothes, sheets etc), cardboard separately, anything that is just metal but no other material separately, and anything that is just wood seperately. If you have electrical items like old tv or games console put those seperately as well.
Everything else is classed as mixed non recycled and gets lumped together, those will go to landfill unfortunately but at least you know textiles, metal etc is being recycled
Doing a single trip to dump, or even 2, is very satisfying as it’s usually quick to do and gets rid of everything at the same time
Frankly advertising on Facebook or free giveaway sites is time consuming and a hassle and not worth it unless you truely have something of real value to sell 2nd hand. Similar “yard sales” or boot sales not going to worth the hassle for you. Separating and then taking some to charity and some to other places- again too much hassle.
The dump will recycle what is recyclable for you if you just split it into type and that’s then being good for the environment. Your baby clothes could end up as my new rugs from IKEA (made from recycled stuff) or go to then”rag trade” for the fibres like cotton to be broken down and refabricated.

mydogisthebest · 29/09/2021 09:10

@Grellbunt

Bag it up and drive to the tip and bin it

Woohoo

Done!

YAdNBU - women have enough to do!

Oh yes just take stuff that is useable to the tip. What a great idea.

We throw away far far far far too much and people need to stop taking everything to the tip or putting in their dustbin.

Toys and clothes could be very useful to some people. Even if the clothes are not in great condition charity shops sell them for rags so still get money.

The attitude to throwing everything away in this country is disgusting

mydogisthebest · 29/09/2021 09:11

@SpiderinaWingMirror

Bung it in the car. Go to the tip. Chuck it. You will feel much better.
Well I would hope she would NOT feel much better having contributed to landfill when lots of the items were perfectly fine
Wester · 29/09/2021 09:14

Just bin it all