to think “decluttering” isn’t actually that simple if you want to dispose responsibly?

[HazelMember]

Everyone says “just have a clear-out” like it’s a quick job. But if you don’t want to chuck everything in landfill, it’s a whole logistical exercise:

Electrical items have to be recycled.
Dead batteries need to be recycled.
Charity shops are harder and harder to park near. My local charity shops are closing down and others will only take certain items.
My local homeless charity that are kitting out temporary homes will not take new bedding. Only cash.
Some places won’t take certain clothes, toys or household items.

So you end up with piles of “good” stuff sitting around while you work out where it can actually go.

Don't all our recycling plastics just end up floating in the Indian Ocean anyway?

At which point I'll fire it in the black bin and think no more of it.

Its stuff like that I really struggle with and stuff I think i should sell on.

Very much agree. I am slowly decluttering, lots of kids things that they don’t use any more, and I try not to just bin things. H&M (and I’m sure others) will take bags of textiles, any brand or condition and recycle them. This works really well for
clothes and old sheets/towels/curtains. When I’ve tried to use local forums people say they will collect and then don’t turn up.
The worst for me is old CD’s and DVD’s we waited too long to get rid of them and now no one wants them.