Wrapping up and moving on

While there is more that could be said and cleaning, tidying, and recycling, the material for the activity has been thoroughly explored. 

Obviously there could be other posts. I thought about spending more time on thinking about what happens to your things after you die. I don't think you should make all of your decisions based on other people, which we covered, but it may be worth leaving some instructions. 

Those have been covered in other posts from other times, and may come up again.

https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2015/03/preparing-for-death-part-1.html 

https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2021/09/not-procrastinating-issues-of-life-and.html 

I saw something else this week that brought this series of posts full circle.

Someone had posted that most things you turn in don't get recycled. "Are they dirty? They don't get recycled."

These posts covered the importance of following the directions given by the places to whom you donate, as well as talking about "wishful" recycling.

There can definitely be problems; that is true. That's why you pay attention to what materials are accepted and what stipulations they have. 

There may also be issues with some unscrupulous places. As we were researching the "threads" issue, we started seeing a lot of ads for one option. A little searching found them getting pretty terrible reviews. That doesn't mean that there aren't good options, but some diligence is needed.

Saying something that could be true under certain circumstances without clarifying is dishonest. It may be even more important to consider the reason for the dishonesty.

In this case, I think it was a person who likes feeling superior to others; minimizing their efforts is one method. 

The "full circle" part is that it reminded me of the compost issue I had written about earlier, where some people will treat everything human as a contaminant, which is not terribly helpful but is pretty discouraging:

https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2026/04/cleaning-up-and-clearing-out-getting.html 

I see that on other topics besides recycling. 

Individuals can have various motivations. One person might have heard once that there is no point in recycling, get it stuck in their head, and then repeat it out of habit, without ever having looked more into it.

Someone might enjoy feeling superior.

Some may be promoting an agenda. 

For example, someone who sells cars might work against high-speed rail projects because they don't want the competition, but they won't give that as the reason. Maybe instead they will propose something that is supposed to be better, but does not hold up on further scrutiny. 

People who don't scrutinize might repeat that one too. Then if there are bot farms repeating things so that more people are hearing them, bad information and ideas can spread.

You do not necessarily have to become an expert on recycling, or any topic, but it is helpful to periodically ask where information is coming from and what interests it might serve.

Even more helpful could be asking about its effect on you.

Does this information tend to make you feel hopeless? Don't accept it too quickly. If hope lies in a different direction than you thought, it's worth seeking it out.

If I decide to give up recycling, do I go back to a bigger trash bin with a higher monthly rate?

Do we want more landfills? Are those beautiful?

It is frustrating that people will repeat things that may be wrong and that don't benefit them, but they still won't give up the ideas.

It may not be possible to fix that, but we do not have to be led by that. 

Beautifully, continuing to think about what works for you can support a happier life and a healthier planet. 

Cleaning up and clearing out: Implementation

One of the things I am studying for school is implementation science. It exists because no matter how clear it is that something is a good idea and should work, changing patterns and habits is hard.

You may want thing to get things tidy and even temporarily accomplish it in a burst of cleaning. Keeping it that way may require deeper changes.

While this was not exactly a clutter issue, we were having an issue with one of my sister's small socks. They would get caught in clothes. Even though I would shake out the clothes and feel through them, somehow there would still be an odd number of socks. Then, at some point a missing sock would fall out of clothing that had been searched earlier, perhaps when it was being put on.

It occurred to me that there are hosiery bags that could resolve this. We got one, but using it wasn't a habit at first; loose socks were still getting caught in clothes.

The step of going from "wearing" to "laundry" was the weak link. It needed to be a matter of putting the socks in the bag right after taking them off, then tossing the bag into the laundry when there were a few pairs.  

It is very satisfying finding the bag now and knowing that any socks that went into the wash stayed together.

I'd say it was silly, but that ended up being the livelisest part of the discussion at the activity. Many households have had sock issues and there are some strong feelings about them!

In some cases, those issues were exacerbated by people who should be capable of putting their own socks away but not doing so. That is a different problem requiring a different solution, but it may need to be combined with an organizational solution.

You have to find things that work for you. There may be perfectly reasonable ideas that only work for other people, and that's okay.

Packing lunch is practical, but using plastic sandwich bags that then get tossed every time does not feel very responsible.

Let's try reusable containers. Well, it worked for one sister, but it does not fit well into the other one's laptop bag. Maybe she needs a different container.

Remember, keeping things that spark joy is different from minimalism. Depending on your tastes, that could result in having a lot of things that might resemble clutter under certain systems.

A shower caddy might work for some memorabilia.

 What if you have Christmas ornaments that you want to display all year? There are options for that.

These are just some thoughts for issues we have run into with these particular people in this particular house. There are lots of differences.

I use the library for books now, but it is generally advised that children should have their own books. Even as adults there are books that we want to refer to sometimes or re-read periodically. 

Trying to get rid of everything isn't the answer. There are different wants and needs, and different solutions that will work with different individuals.  

Back when it seemed like everyone was talking about Marie Kondo, I remember one women realizing that she had a lot of hats and she liked them, but she didn't wear them that often. She changed how she kept her hats so they were easier to spot (a visual reminder) and easier to grab (convenience) and she started wearing her hats more. 

Do what you can to keep your joy in reach.

Cleaning up and clearing out: The 3 Rs

Shortly before the activity, one of my sisters and I had taken a trip to Ridwell for a drop-off. They were taking Styrofoam (extruded polystyrene foam).

That was all we took, because we are rule followers. We did ask about "threads" (cloth remnants that cannot be used as clothing donations or things like that), because there hadn't been a threads collection for a while.

One thing that came out of that conversation was that a lot of people had brought their threads anyway, just hoping.

At least with Ridwell, they are taking the items so can refuse them. Many places sort donations later and may have to discard a lot. "Wishful recycling" may just increase overhead, but sometimes it also requires reporting to the government.

Passing your problem off to someone else does not actually get rid of a problem.

Later, it occurred to me that "fast fashion" is probably a big part of why it is so hard to find someone taking threads now; the places that can process it are full and running behind.

When they say "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," it is important that it go in that order. Recycling is superior to the landfill, but it has its limitations, especially in a society that keeps producing surplus. Reusing and reducing will do more to keep a clean and healthy environment.

With that in mind, I am sharing the resource list that we sent out after the activity.

First, let me say that it is long because there are so many notes, but that precision is part of not "wishfully" giving someone else a problem while feeling like you did a good thing.

The other part is that there are constant change and updates. Don't be afraid to ask if you are not sure. 

If you need ideas, you can ask us. Part of our threads stash was ribbons, which we took to Scrap because they can be art supplies there. 

Finally, I do not list any sources for shred events for confidential papers like old tax returns. These usually come up as community events sponsored events. You probably don't have to wait too long for the next one, but it's just a different system.

Waste Management: Local trash and recycle pickups.

Recycling guidelines: https://www.wm.com/us/en/recycle-right

Ridwell: Not currently available for pickups in ward boundaries, but here is their mail-in information: https://www.ridwell.com/mail-in

SBC Recycle: 19040 SW Shaw Street Beaverton, OR 97078

Electronic Waste, lightbulbs, batteries, mattress, furniture, etc…

We recycle all electronics waste, most electronics or items with metal do not have a fee

• Computers, Laptops, Tablets, Servers and IT Equipment
• Monitors, Printers, Scanners, Cell phones and telephones
• Fax and Copy Machine, DISH and DirecTV Boxes
• Ink Cartridges, Routers, Hubs, and Modems
• Mouse and Keyboards Cameras, CD Players
• Radio’s, Speakers and Stereos
• TV’s, CD, VCRs and DVD Players
• Remote Controls, Disk and Floppy drives
• Gaming systems and components

… and more, if it has a cord or runs on a battery we will recycle it.

https://www.sbcrecycle.com/

Schoolhouse Supplies: 4916 NE 122nd Ave, Portland, OR 97230 for both Teachers and Students – Donate new or gently used classroom supplies

Schoolhouse Supplies accepts donations of new and gently-used, reusable school, office, and art supplies, and other learning materials that are suitable for classrooms by appointment only. Please check the list of items we currently accept/do not accept below before scheduling your appointment. We update this list frequently based on current inventory and whether items can be safely stocked in our warehouse. We do not accept items that are not suitable for a classroom, or that are broken, damaged, dirty, or in poor condition. If you have any additional questions about what to donate or what we accept, contact us using the email address or phone number listed below!

https://schoolhousesupplies.org/get-involved/donate-supplies

Blanchet House: 310 NW Glisan Portland, OR 97209 Our guests experiencing homelessness need new and gently used clean clothes. We invite you to donate adult-sized, seasonally appropriate clothing. We give out clothing and sleeping essentials during meal services and on an as-needed basis.

ATTENTION: Because we have VERY limited storage space, we can only take the most requested items listed below. We DO NOT accept dress clothes, children’s clothes, linens, or home goods.

https://blanchethouse.org/

Union Gospel Mission:11611 SW Pacific Highway

They accept clean clothes and linen, small home appliances (working), some furniture in good condition (limited capacity), televisions that are no older than five years, musical instruments, books, artwork, pots and pans, and jewelry. Items sold in thrift store provide training for LifeChange recovery program residents and support the program.

SCRAP PDX: 619 SE 6th AVE, Portland, OR  97214 We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the community. Yarn
Fabric (yardage only, no scraps)
Working Sewing Machines and Sergers
Canvases (new and used)
Sketch Pads
Art Paints (no aerosols or house paint)
Paint Brushes
Jewelry
Beads
Glue (no aerosols)
Tape
National Geographic Magazines
Paper Bags with Handles

https://portland.scrapcreativereuse.org/

Aloha Community Library: 17455 SW Farmington Rd. Ste. 26A Aloha, OR 97007 The Aloha Community Library gratefully accepts donations of books, movies, and music in good condition.

We cannot accept:

• encyclopedias
• Reader’s Digest Condensed
• National Geographic
• VHS or cassette tapes
• items that are damaged, soiled, mildewed, infested, or missing parts

Any items that we are unable to incorporate into the library’s lending collections may go to our sales team to be sold online in our Amazon store or at in-person book sales. All sold items benefit library operations!

https://alohalibrary.org/

Also consider local food pantries, animal rescues, and Health and Human Services agencies.