Where to Recycle All Your Stuff in Waltham

Need to find a new home for old computers, toys your kids have outgrown, or paint you're not going to use? Here is our guide to getting stuff out of your basement and into all the right places—that is, everywhere but the landfill. 

Find out how to recycle everything from cereal box tops to soda tabs in Waltham.

Clothing: Cleaning out your closet gives you the opportunity to help others in need or maybe even make some extra cash. Here are a list of places to donate, sell and recycle unwanted items from your wardrobe.

Drop-off Location: Goodwill, 1100 Lexington St., Waltham.
Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Kids' Clothing: Whether you are looking to donate clothes or sell them for next year's school wardrobe fund, here are some local places you can get rid of the outgrown hand-me-downs from your kid's closet.

Drop-off Location: Goodwill, 1100 Lexington St., Waltham.
Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Electronics, Computers, Cellphones: Even though that old computer and last year's iPhone seem outdated, there are plenty of people who could put them to good use. For example, many women’s shelters collect working cellphones for women in domestic abuse situations so they can call 911 if needed, explains HowStuffWorks.com. Here are some other examples of local organizations where you can donate, sell or recycle your used electronics.

Drop-off Location: Home Depot in Watertown, 615 Arsenal St.
Hours of Operation: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Household Goods: Ever go through your garage and wonder why you have so many flyswatters, toasters and gardening gloves? Consider bartering them online or donating to the following local organizations.

Freecycle

Craigslist

Furniture: Even though you think you can never have one too many end tables, chances are, they will get tucked away into a hall closet and be forgotten in months. To give yourself more storage space, consider donating or selling your old furniture to the places below. 

Freecycle

Craigslist

Waste and Recycling

Paint: It's safe to dry out your leftover latex paint with kitty litter, dump it in the garbage and recycle the can. But, oil-based paints are actually considered hazardous, according to TheDailyGreen.com. Here are some ways you can safely discard the cans of paint taking up space in your garage.

Recommendations from the City of Waltham.

Paper Shredding Services: Looking for a way to get rid of old documents but don't want to risk someone seeing your private information? Here are some paper shredding services nearby.

My Document Shredding (call for an appointment)

Newspapers, Magazines and Other Paper: According to environment.about.com, recycling one ton of paper can save 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil, 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space and 4,000 kilowatts of energy. Here are some ways you can recycle the old mail, used magazines and last week's newspaper that are cluttering your counters and coffee tables. 

Paper, magazines, etc. can be placed in your regular curbside pickup area.

Plastic: According to Earth911.com, recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. While it's pretty easy to recycle bottles in town, other plastic items can be tricky. However, many grocery stores offer recycling programs for plastic bags and product wraps. Here a list of nearby places where you can recycle plastic items from your home.

Plastic can be placed in your regular curbside pickup area.

Glass:  Glass is a very efficient material to recycle, because it takes much less energy and money to recycle the material than to make it from scratch, according to curiosity.discovery.com. Here is a list of ways to get rid of empty wine bottles, condiment jars and other glass products in town.

Glass can be placed in your regular curbside pickup area.

What did we miss? Tell us where you're recycling, reselling and donating your gently used items.