5 Unusual Household Items to Recycle

Looking for a new way to go green? We’ve put together 5 unusual household items that you could recycle, from gently used lingerie to cute baby clothes that your children have outgrown.

Singapore’s 2030 sustainability goal to reduce food waste and leverage technology to transform agriculture has been reinforced by its ban on plastic straws, the launch of the National Recycling Programme, and a reduction of single-use plastics. To play your part, give away or donate your unwanted items and contribute to the circular economy as you go. Here are 5 places that can help you do that.

#1

Support Other Women with your Lingerie

Support women and girls by donating to Uplift, a project that provides bras to women in disadvantaged communities across the APAC region. Collecting lingerie from women in Singapore, the initiative hopes to help women without sufficient bras of their own combat issues ranging from infections to chronic backache, spinal issues and simple physical movement limitations, especially for nursing mothers. The Uplift project accepts a wide range of sizes and styles. Donors from Singapore can contact [email protected] or find more information here. They can also contact Perk by Kate, a partnered organisation, via [email protected].

#2

Your Parent’s Chunky TV Set & Floppy Drives

They say another man’s trash is another’s treasure, so flag down Karung Guni, the unmistakable rag-and-bone guys tooting horns down the street, to part with your old electrics and more. Accepting anything from TV Sets to Hi-Fi Sets, VCDs, and analogue and digital monitors (plus newspapers and cardboard to boot), items are free to collect as long as they weigh less than 800 kg and are resold to secondhand dealers or waste recycling companies. Find out more about alternative collections here. Or, to drop your electronics in a collection box, look for RENEW where you can donate printers, remote controllers, cables, electronic toys and more as long as you can fit them through the bin’s 470mm x 120mm slots. And, finally, if you’re close to a Post Office, Singtel shop, or Singtel Retailer outlet, Recycle, a collaboration between the Singtel x SingPost E-waste Recycling Programme, accepts smaller items including routers, chargers, laptops, SIM cards, USB drives.

#3

That’s Big of You: Event Booths, Construction Debris, Geriatric Chairs!?

Junk to Clear is perfect for those needing to dispose of bulk waste and items from office premises, extracting the most useful elements from debris and damaged office furniture before delivering waste where it should go – e.g. biofuel plants. Furniture and household items in good condition are donated to needy families.

If you’re looking for a place accepting a broader variety, Pass It On is a website to look at, matching low-income families to donors via ‘Wish Lists.’ Sign up on their website as a donor, or alternatively email [email protected].

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#4

Teeny Tiny Hand-Me-Downs

Preloved Baby Goods is a Facebook community and online marketplace of over 32,000 parents selling, buying, and exchanging items suitable for babies and pregnant women across Singapore.

If you’re more interested in donations, Babes is the only crisis centre supporting pregnant teenagers in Singapore. They work with hospitals and social services agencies to provide medical care, shelter, adoption services, counselling, and financial assistance. Email [email protected] if you have any of the following to spare: unexpired formulated milk powder, diapers, pre-loved babies’ clothes, prams and strollers.

#5

Swap Out Your Paint Brushes

Whether you’re just dipping your toes into craft or you’re an established artist, Art Don’t Throw is a great way to meet other artists – and the perfect place to sell or dispose of materials to a highly active Facebook community of artists and art groups in the area. Swap out your palette knives, paint thinner or spare canvases for a wide plethora of various tools – particularly handy when affordable, quality art supplies are notoriously hard to find.