When Donating is Wrong
When Donating Is Wrong
Recently I attended a meeting where Catherine Meloy, President and CEO of Goodwill of Greater Washington spoke about the donation process and how Goodwill runs their stores.
Her discussion included what types of items they accept for donation and what they cannot. Especially, when donating is wrong.
It was surprising how much they take, including torn and soiled clothing. They resell it to salvage companies. Donating is a great way to let go of things that are still useful. But there are some things that can not be donated.
Expired food can’t be donated. This is why it is important to have an organized pantry. Know what you have and use it up while it’s still good.
Expired medication can’t be donated. It could be dangerous to consume expired medicine. Find a pharmacy in your area that will correctly dispose of expired medicine.
Old paint can not be donated. Paint lasts about 5 years and only when it is stored in a climate-controlled space. The best way to eliminate those old cans is to take them to your dump.
Open bottles of personal products should not be donated. If you have opened the shampoo or deodorant and don’t want it anymore, you’ll have to throw it out. It’s a health issue and charities can not use these items.
Some chemical products have expiration dates on them as well. So if you are cleaning out your garage of old lawn products, check for dates. If they are old, they may not be effective any longer. You can take these to your dump to be properly recycled.
While most things can be donated, keep in mind that some things don’t have a life beyond you.
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Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.