Make a clean, green sweep: Spring cleaning ideas

Finding a lot of "junk" during spring cleaning? Your "trash" might be someone else's "treasure."Find new homes for that stuff, instead of putting it in the garbage.

• Reusable stuff: Donate your reusable stuff to a community organization like Bridging, Goodwill , or Arc's Value Village. You can also give it away for free by posting it online at Twin Cities Free Market.
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs): Because CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, they cannot be put in the trash. There are several options for CFL recycling, depending on where you live.
  • First check with your electric utility, since some electric utilities have arrangements with hardware stores and other retailers to accept used residential fluorescent lights, as well as customer coupons to cover the cost of recycling.
  • For a list of retailers that accept used CFLs, check out Earth 911 or call 800-253-2687.
  • Many county household hazardous waste programs in Minnesota accept used CFLs for recycling.
• Household hazardous waste: A lot of products around the house should not be dumped down the drain or placed in the garbage. Check out www.rethinkrecycling.com (Twin Cities metro) or the MPCA (greater Minnesota) to determine if a product is hazardous and to find the household hazardous waste collection site in your county.

For more ideas on what to do with stuff you find around the house, check out Co-op America's 21 Things You Didn't Know You Can Recycle.