When you’re decluttering, your first question should be: Could someone else use this? If the answer is yes, then your goal is to get it into their hands, whether through donation or resale.

Sometimes the easiest way to start is with a quick search like “where to donate office supplies near me” or “electronic recycling drop-off”. You’ll often find local nonprofits, shelters, or specialized programs you didn’t know existed.

Nationwide donation options:

• Goodwill – Accepts office furniture, electronics, and some supplies.
• The Salvation Army – Takes office furniture and equipment; many locations offer free pickup.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStores – Accepts building materials, appliances, and furniture.
• Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) – Picks up small furniture, electronics, and office items in many regions.

Resale:

• Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Nextdoor – Sell or give away desks, chairs, or storage locally.
• eBay – Ideal for surplus electronics or office equipment.

Reusing extends the lifespan of items, prevents the environmental costs of new production, and supports nonprofits in your community.

When reuse and repair aren’t possible, partner with a removal service that shares your sustainability values. Camo Crew Junk Removal, a veteran-owned business in Butler, WI, serves Milwaukee and surrounding areas with commercial and office clean-outs. They handle everything from office furniture and electronics to construction debris, diverting as much as possible to donation and recycling instead of landfill. Learn more at camocrewjunkremoval.com.

For items that can’t be reused, recycling ensures valuable materials are recovered.

If you’re in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Recycling Directory is your go-to resource. Just type in what you want to recycle, add your ZIP code, and see nearby drop-off locations. You can search for everything from electronics and scrap metal to textiles and lightbulbs.

Nationwide recycling programs:

• Best Buy – Electronics and appliances
• Staples – Electronics, ink/toner cartridges, batteries
• TerraCycle – Mail-in programs for hard-to-recycle items like snack wrappers or coffee pods
• Call2Recycle – Rechargeable battery recycling drop-off locations

Recycling diverts waste from landfills, reduces methane emissions, and recovers valuable materials so they can be used again. This lowers the demand for virgin resource extraction and supports a circular economy that turns old products into new ones.

By following the waste hierarchy and using resources like the Wisconsin Recycling Directory, you can make decluttering part of your sustainability efforts. Every item you keep out of the landfill is a step toward a cleaner, more resource-conscious future.

In August 2023, Lands’ End teamed up with Recover™, a global producer of recycled cotton fiber, to launch a low-impact denim line that incorporates 20% recycled cotton fiber sourced from textile waste scraps. This collaboration demonstrates how businesses can integrate textile waste back into the supply chain, helping to close the loop on sustainability.

Lands’ End’s commitment extends further: it partners with Martex Fiber, a North American textile recycler, to manage pre- and post-consumer waste under their “No Fiber Left Behind” pledge, ensuring that obsolete apparel doesn’t go to landfills.

​Employees today want more than a paycheck. They want purpose. According to Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, 89 percent of Gen Z and 92 percent of Millennials say that purpose is a key factor in their job satisfaction and overall well-being. These generations now make up the majority of the workforce, and they are actively seeking employers that align with their values, especially when it comes to environmental and social responsibility.

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Gallup’s 2025 “State of the Global Workplace” report found that only 21 percent of employees globally felt engaged in 2024, and that number is trending downward. However, employees who strongly agree that their organization makes a positive impact on the world are twice as likely to be engaged in their jobs. In other words, when employees are part of something bigger than themselves.

When businesses invest in sustainability and invite employees to take part, it shows leadership is thinking beyond profit. It demonstrates a commitment to doing good, and gives employees a reason to feel proud of where they work.

Sustainability engagement also builds community. Recycling drives, waste audits, or office composting challenges are natural team-building opportunities that promote creativity and connection. These activities create common ground across departments, giving people something to work toward together that is not just about the next deadline or deliverable. They create culture.
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The impact goes beyond the office. When employees learn sustainable habits at work (like how to sort waste properly or reduce single-use plastics), they often bring those habits home. They talk about them with friends, influence their families, and create a ripple effect of awareness and action.

You do not need to launch a full-scale sustainability initiative overnight. Start small and meet your employees where they are. A few great starting points include:

• Hosting a waste-free lunch or green potluck
• Creating a recycling education station in the breakroom
• Organizing a friendly competition between teams to reduce waste or energy use
• Inviting a local expert for a sustainability lunch and learn
• Conducting a hands-on trash sort to assess what your office is really throwing away

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The key is to make it interactive, inclusive, and tangible. Sustainability is most effective when people experience it directly. That is when it becomes real.

Whether you want to kick off a new initiative or build on what you already have in place, WasteCap can help. From waste audits and recycling workshops to employee education and community partnerships, we design programs that are engaging, practical, and customized to your goals.
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​Let us help make sustainability something your employees feel connected to and proud of. When your people are part of the solution, the impact goes far beyond your walls.