Let’s all agree that it never is really pleasant to have tons of clutter in your home. You’ve been collecting items for many years now, and when you have decided to do your spring cleaning, you have realised there are a lot of useless things you want to get rid of. 

You don’t need that old guitar because you haven’t really learned to play it or that old CD player as well. But you can’t simply throw them away. They are in the all-right condition, so you can still find some good uses for them. But what can you do about it?

Here are some ways to turn your waste into money. The method is the same – reselling. The way of doing it is different.

Yard sales

If you are living in the suburbs, in a nice neighbourhood, you can simply have a good old garage sale. Or if you don’t have a garage, then a yard sale it is. It’s the same thing, but you get the point. Get a few tables, place all your junk on them and put some reasonable price tags on all of them. There will be people all over the neighbourhood coming and buying things. Why? Because everybody knows that you can find really interesting items on sales like these. 

You can offer clothes, kitchen utensils, shoes, toys, accessories, books, decorations, and exercise machines, and the possibilities are virtually limitless. The best part is that you’ll be giving these forgotten items a second chance to have a new useful life instead of being stored somewhere in your house, sometimes even getting in the way. Well, you won’t get the original money you invested in everything, but at least you are not throwing it away. 

Pawn shops

Unfortunately, they won’t buy everything, and they won’t give you much money, but it’s still a good profit. And if you are giving them something that originally looked common to you, it can turn out that it is more valuable than you thought. 

So a pawn shop is a really good place to sell your items. Furniture is hard to sell there, but you can try it with old games and vintage objects.

Antique stores

If the item is really old but in good condition, you can sell it to an antique shop where it will be given the right price, hopefully. Our advice is not to try and polish your items before taking them to the antique store. Just leave them in the condition they are in because some items are just losing their value when they are being cleaned. 

Ebay

Maybe, the easiest way to sell things. You don’t need to go around town to find the perfect store, you don’t have to go through garage sales, and you can stay at home and put the price you want. Of course, be reasonable about the price. 

Also, people are selling all kinds of things there. There were stories about selling pieces of paper and some napkins. If people can get money from an old piece of paper, you can get money for your guitar. Easy and pretty efficient. 

Additionally, look around your house; you’ll probably find old mobile phones, phone chargers you no longer use, computers, monitors, cables, or old video game consoles, among many other “junk” items you may have at home.

You’d be surprised to know the number of people willing to buy such things, searching online in the hope that someone wants to get rid of them. It doesn’t matter if the mobile phones or electronic devices are not functional; you can sell them for spare parts and add some extra money to your bank account that you didn’t expect.

Globally, around 50 million tons of electronic waste are produced annually, much of which could be reused if people had the will to do so. Become the change while helping people who need to repair their devices or acquire vintage gadgets, all for a modest price.

Other websites

And why stop only at eBay? You can try reselling your things on Craigslist or Amazon Marketplace. Both are wonderful places for promoting your items. You have a lot of options there, and it’s all working well for you and the buyer. Try it, and you will see.

Recycling

You thought recycling could only save nature? You can save money, too.. actually, earn it. So how does it work? Many manufacturers can give you money if you give back your old appliances. If they don’t give money, at least they can make a discount for you, so you can buy something new. And if that doesn’t work, you can always go to your local junkyard. Rubbish yards will pay for scrap metal, so it’s some cash in your pocket.

If you can’t really sell it, at least get rid of it the proper way – use a waste collection company to take care of the problem for you. They’ll recycle it and help you with getting rid of all the useless junk. I guess you are spending a little money, but hey, your house will look better. 

Or you can donate it and get a tax break. It’s more complicated, but it works.

Separate your trash

In your home, you probably have cardboard, aluminium, glass, plastic, and other waste materials. Many people have found a way to earn extra money from this, and some even survive thanks to it.

So first, separate each material by having different containers to store recyclable items. Then, find companies near you that buy these materials. Some pay per unit, while others pay by weight. Find the ones that offer the best deals, and you’re done. You’ll earn some extra money while contributing to the planet.

Other things you might not know that you can sell are:

Cooking oil

Used household cooking oil is a versatile and valuable waste that can be used for a variety of products such as soaps, lubricants, eco-friendly fuels, or biodiesel for motor vehicles.

Do some research on which companies are interested in buying and contact them.

Ink cartridges

Recycling empty ink cartridges and toners is another way of earning some money and helping the environment. Just take them directly to recycling centres or consumable and printing accessory stores, and make money yourself through the recycling process.

Wine corks

Did you know that used corks can be recycled and transformed into a wide variety of objects, such as building insulation, flooring, shoe soles, surfboards, or artisanal materials? An interesting fact is that the NH Hotel Group collected almost 2000 kg of cork and reused them to build more than 300 hotel rooms or around 8,000 square meters of space.

So, find out where you can sell them locally or try different online platforms like eBay, Wallapop, or Milanuncios. 

Bottle caps

It’s not the most profitable waste, as you’ll need to accumulate a significant quantity to receive a financial return that compensates you. The usual practice is to collect bottle caps and take them to a recycling centre or factory, where they will pay you for them.

Used batteries

You can sell them to recycling companies, scrap yards, mechanic shops, waste management companies, or scrapyards. An alternative option is to sell them to individuals.

Used cardboard boxes

There are companies that buy used cardboard boxes, but you can also go to second-hand platforms like Wallapop. It’s a very useful option if you often shop online or have just completed a move. Make sure they are in good condition and don’t smell bad… and remember that pizza boxes don’t count: those go in the organic waste bin.

As for the value of used boxes, it largely depends on their condition, classification, size and quantity of the lot, as well as the distance to sorting centres. 

Market your crafts

There are numerous original items that can be made from recycled materials, and many people are willing to pay for them. If you’re skilled at this type of art and have some free time, you could market these products online.

You can create anything from unique flowerpots made from plastic or glass bottles to artwork using old CDs and cans or cardboard picture frames. You have many options available, and all of them are positive if you genuinely want to make a change in how you consume your resources.

And if you threw a big party at home, and now you are wondering what to do with the pile of glasses, plates, cutlery and all kinds of other junk, next time, consider renting a commercial dumpster.