Uncategorized March 24, 2018

All that Clutter is not Trash

stuffed animals, clothing clutter is not trash

Most of us have clutter.  The gifts that we never really wanted, but can’t bear to part with.  The impulse items purchased on special occasions, or on sale that we never used.  The older appliance that is stored away after being replaced with the newest model.

With the warmer temperatures of spring, it’s natural to think about shedding excess; whether it is the extra weight we gained over the holidays, or the accumulation of stuff stored away in our basements, garages, or overflowing in our closets.  Do you maintain a complete wardrobe in a variety of sizes, just in case you lose or gain weight?  Are you holding on to household items that you no longer use, believing that one day you will pass them on to a loved one, when they will need it?  Have you considered renting a storage unit or buying a larger house just to store everything?  Does looking at your stuff make you feel joy or depression?

Have you thought about eliminating what you aren’t using, but just don’t know what to do with it?  The act of letting go of possessions can be very challenging for some.   We often cling to our possessions, “just in case” we might need it again one day.  Intuitively, we may recognize that the items aren’t really trash and still have value for someone.  Clutter can be very costly, both in the space it takes up, and with the time we spend searching through it for what we need.  Rather than thinking about the giving up aspect, it may be helpful to consider what you will gain from purging it from your home.

Putting these items back into circulation can benefit you as well as your community, with many people seeking out bargains to help them to live within a tight budget.  The collection, restoration and selling of second hand merchandise also create jobs.  And your previously neglected possessions are freed from collecting dust, to renewing their life and purpose with someone else.

You could also gain some cash if you decide to sell your possessions. This could be accomplished either selling on-line, or with a yard sale.  If you happen to coordinate with friends or neighbors, you could plan a multi-family yard sale, to make it more enticing to shoppers.   If you prefer not to spend the time to sell it yourself, you may want to take your items to a second hand store.  Some stores will pay either in cash or trade for used items in good condition.

You may prefer to get a tax credit for a charity donation. In Utah, you can drop off donations at Deseret Industries  Big Brothers Big Sisters  or Friends of MS Charities.   If you are looking for options for having donations picked up from your house, you can check with Donation Town or Give It.  If you are not concerned about being paid or getting a tax write-off, you can offer to give it away for free through Freecycle, or other on-line classifies.

Wasatch Metal will pay cash by weight of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal, including scrap automobiles.  Watch for community events, like CHaRM pop-ups for the hard-to-recycle materials that would otherwise be sent to the landfill.

Check with Community Recycling to see the guidelines for your city for disposing of large or hazardous materials.  For example, residents of South Salt Lake can dispose mattresses at the Salt Lake County Transfer Station for free (restrictions apply).

You will feel triumphant after eliminating the things from your life that you no longer need or want, and knowing that others were able to find use from it.  Once you have shed the old clutter, be careful not to replace it with new clutter.  This is an excellent time to consider how you make future purchases.  For special occasions, you may want to focus more on sharing experiences rather than exchanging gifts.  You may decide to rent or borrow rather than purchasing items for occasional use.

 

John Hamilton, Associate Broker of Windermere Real Estate, with nearly five decades of experience working with Buyers, Sellers, and other real estate professionals and having sold more than 1,400 Utah properties.  I have the experience to provide you an edge in negotiating your real estate transaction.

Salt Lake City March 5, 2018

Glass Recycling is Gaining Momentum in Utah

With the rattling and screeching sounds of the L train above, I pulled the red wagon behind me along the streets in my Chicago neighborhood.  I was on a mission to find as many discarded bottles as possible.  At five years old, I was already a seasoned trader.  Trading bottles for cash was the way I funded my stamp collection.  If I was lucky, and found enough bottles, after buying stamps, I would splurge and buy a bar of the finest chocolate from Pennsylvania for a nickel.

Before WWII, refillable glass bottles were expensive to make and beverage industries had incentive to have their bottles returned.  As technology evolved and new containers became cheaper “No Deposit, No Return” was stamped on bottles, and consumers readily embraced the convenience of disposables.

Growing concerns about litter resulted in some states introducing bottle deposit bills, but they have been met by opposition by the beverage industry and grocers.  Currently a handful of states have bottle bills, but most do not.

Utah does not have a bottle bill.  However, there is a company that is diverting glass from the landfill.  Recently I was able to ask a few questions to Rosemary Washington, Momentum Recycling Community Outreach and Master Recycler.

How long has Momentum been recycling glass?

Washington:  Momentum has been recycling glass since 2012.  We service the Wasatch Front from Logan to Provo and from West Jordan to Park City, even as far as Jackson Hole, WY.

How much glass is recycled by Momentum in a year?

Washington:  We currently process about 1,200 TONS of glass per month, so that’s a whopping 14,400 TONS per year!

What kind of glass can be recycled?  Are there any kinds that cannot?   

Washington:  Most of your household glass can be recycled:  bottles, jars, broken windows.  The few exceptions that cannot be recycled include light bulbs, mirrors, automotive windshields, Pyrex, ceramics and porcelain.

Does the glass need to be separated by color?

Washington:  We take all colors of glass, and it does not need to be separated.  Momentum has an Optic Scanner that does all that for you.

Is it necessary to remove labels or wash the glass before recycling?

Washington:  Don’t waste water taking off labels or cleaning out jars.  The recycling process takes care of that.  However, you must remove lids and corks.  Lids can go in your recycling can and Momentum collects corks, so you can bring those in every 6 months or so or as needed.

How do I find locations in the community where I can bring my glass to be recycled?

Washington:  If you go to our website:  momentumrecycling.com , you can find the nearest drop-off location to you.  We have them all throughout the valley.  Our newest drop-off is conveniently located at the Wine Store at 280 Harris Avenue in SLC.

What other options are there for recycling glass for homes, apartment complexes, or businesses?

Washington:  We provide Curbside Pickup for those residential customers who enjoy that convenience.  We currently serve all of SLC, and many areas in Salt Lake County.  We are continually enlarging our service area for curbside pickup.   We now have 6,000 curbside subscribers.

Why is it important to recycle glass rather than throw it away?

Washington:  Besides the jobs that recycling creates, glass is the one recyclable that can be recycled over and over.  It takes so much less energy to recycle a bottle than to make one from raw materials.  It is estimated that recycling one bottle can save enough energy to power a tv set for 1.5 hours.   Not only that, but CO2 is dramatically decreased by recycling.  Given Utah’s notoriously bad air quality, this should be a motivating factor for everybody with lungs.  ANYTHING we can do to increase Utah’s air quality is worthwhile.  Worth noting is that glass does not break down in the landfill, so every glass jar that’s thrown in there is driving the landfill that much closer to capacity.  And, let me tell you… a new landfill, plus all the gas to haul the trash even further west, will not be cheap.  Let’s do what we can to extend the life of the landfill we do have.

Can you describe how you became interested in recycling?

Washington:  I read a book several years ago called Garbology and I have been a recyclopath ever since!  I was excited to get a job with Momentum 5 years ago when it was just getting off the ground.  Partnering with Jason Utgaard, Momentum’s Marketing Manager (and owner of the website thespotteddoor.com which sells products made using recycled materials), we have worked very hard to get the curbside program going.  Like I mentioned earlier, we are up to 6,000 now from the 200 we were at 5 years ago.  I’m proud of the work we’ve done with the help of some dynamic college students.

To find a drop off location near you, or to sign up for the curbside service go to the Momentum Recycling website.