Declutter Sustainably: A Guide to Reuse, Resell, and Recycle

For businesses, decluttering isn’t just about tidying the office, it’s an opportunity to save money, support the community, and meet sustainability goals. Every desk, chair, filing cabinet, and branded t-shirt your company owns required energy, water, and raw materials to produce. When you reuse, resell, or recycle these items instead of discarding them, you conserve resources, avoid landfill waste, and demonstrate environmental responsibility to clients and employees alike.
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​Following the waste hierarchy ensures that the highest-impact strategies come first. Recycling is valuable, but extending the life of an item has an even bigger benefit because it avoids the environmental footprint of making something new.

This version of the waste hierarchy goes beyond “reduce, reuse, recycle” by starting with redesign and refuse: actions that prevent waste before it’s created. Reduce cuts down on unnecessary consumption, while reuse keeps materials in circulation through repairing, sharing, or repurposing. Recycle comes next, followed by composting for organics and energy recovery for items that can’t be recycled. Landfilling remains the least preferred, where valuable resources are lost entirely. The higher up the hierarchy, the greater the environmental benefit.

​Step 1: Find a New Home for Items You No Longer Need

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.

​Step 2: Repair or Repurpose

A chipped desk or wobbly chair might just need a simple repair. Repurposing outdated shelving into breakroom storage or converting unused filing cabinets into planters for an office green space can add function without cost.

Repair and repurposing not only save money but also strengthen your business’s reputation for innovation and environmental responsibility.

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Step 3: Sustainable Junk Removal

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.

Step 4: Recycle Responsibly

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.

Lands’ End’s Apparel Recycling Program

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.

Bottom line

By aligning office decluttering with the waste hierarchy, businesses can cut costs, support local organizations, and meet sustainability commitments. Whether it’s rehoming furniture through Goodwill, recycling branded apparel through Lands’ End’s programs, or hiring Como Crew for a responsible office cleanout, every action you take moves your business toward a cleaner, more resource-conscious future.