You is likely to be in the course of house transforming or simply sprucing issues up a bit. In that case, it normally means out with the previous and in with the brand new. In terms of your window remedies, you is likely to be taking a look at your getting old blinds and questioning what to do with them.
Earlier than sending your previous blinds straight to the garbage bin, solely to have them dumped in a landfill, take into account your choices first. It would take a while and slightly effort, however you are able to do the next with the blinds as an alternative:
1. Donate your previous blinds.
2. Recycle your previous blinds.
3. Repurpose your previous blinds.
4. Promote your previous blinds.
1. Donate Your Outdated Blinds
The very first thing you are able to do with previous blinds is to donate them to a registered charity or somebody who can use them. You may donate any blinds, from Venetian steel blinds to Roman shades, so long as they’re in good situation.
Step 1: Assess Whether or not the Blinds Are Appropriate for Donation
First, take into account why you wish to donate your blinds and assess their situation.
For instance, suppose you might be redecorating and updating your window remedies, but your previous blinds are nonetheless in glorious situation, then you may in all probability donate them. However in case you are parting with the blinds as a result of they’re damaged, tattered, or pale, chances are high no person else will settle for them both, and it’s best to discard them.
Many organizations you may take into account donating to have tips associated to the standard of the objects. It’s price researching to substantiate that your previous blinds can be a worthwhile contribution. For instance, charities like Habitat for Humanity ReStore solely settle for blinds which have by no means been used and are nonetheless of their unique packaging. Different charities solely settle for blinds not older than just a few years.
Step 2: Discover a Native Recipient
To save lots of on transport, one of the best ways to discover a recipient to your previous blinds is to look in your space, be it a pal, member of the family, or somebody in your group in want. You may also donate used blinds to one of many charities in your state.
If you happen to don’t already know somebody who will have the ability to profit out of your blinds, you may promote them on a platform like Freecycle. Freecycle is a non-public, nonprofit group that lets you donate and obtain free, reusable objects from individuals in your hometown. One other various is to publish fliers at high-traffic places in your space (e.g., schools, outlets, and many others.) or promote within the native newspaper.
If you happen to want to donate your used blinds elsewhere, you may ship them to any church, ladies’s shelter, or charity. Most of those organizations settle for items of any type.
If you happen to don’t know any native charities, the Charity Navigator’s database is a useful web site to get you began. It would show you how to discover a official charity by enabling you to do a search inside your space and per different specs. The Charity Navigator web site additionally presents further useful info, just like the tax advantages of donating, inquiries to ask charities earlier than donating objects, and the best way to keep away from charity scams.
Listed here are just a few charities that settle for used window remedies, like previous blinds, and provide a pickup service to gather your items:
Goodwill
Goodwill organizations will promote your used blinds in certainly one of their thrift shops or on-line. It’s best to donate the blinds by delivering them to one of many many personnel-run donation facilities throughout the nation.
You may also use the Goodwill bins in your space, however this isn’t all the time advisable. Your donations usually find yourself supporting for-profit organizations. To make sure the container is a official Goodwill charity drop-off level, it should show the next info clearly:
- Mission assertion
- Objective and proportion of gross sales used to fund the Goodwill mission
- Contact particulars
- The Goodwill emblem
If you happen to can’t ship the blinds to a middle in particular person, you may contact your nearest Goodwill retailer to seek out out in the event that they do pickups. All contact particulars and retailer locator info can be found on their web site.
Web site: Goodwill
The Salvation Military (USA)
You may donate your previous blinds to the Salvation Military by discovering your nearest drop-off location, scheduling a free pickup, or delivering it to certainly one of their thrift shops. When you entry their web site’s donation web page, you will need to enter your zip code underneath one of many drop-off/assortment choices. As soon as completed, the mandatory info can be displayed so that you can proceed.
The Salvation Military’s web site additionally has a helpful Donation Worth Information that may show you how to decide the tax-deductible worth of your donated blinds. At present, it doesn’t explicitly listing ‘blinds’, however you should utilize the ‘drapes’ and ‘curtains’ listed as a information to estimate the worth.
Web site: The Salvation Military
Blinds To Go®
Blinds To Go® is just not a charity per se, however they’re a blinds firm in partnership with a charity known as World Imaginative and prescient. You could possibly deliver any previous blinds to Blinds To Go® even when you didn’t buy them via their firm. They may then both recycle the blinds or donate them to World Imaginative and prescient in your behalf.
Blinds To Go® has over 100 drop-off places throughout Canada and the East coast, together with:
- Detroit
- Baltimore
- Washington
- Philadelphia
- New York
Web site: Blinds To Go
AMVETS Nationwide Service Basis
AMVETS is a charity that helps U.S battle veterans and accepts financial and non-cash donations, together with house furnishings and window remedies. Aside from the primary AMVETS web site, there are a number of different accomplice websites that you may go to to seek for an AMVETS thrift retailer close to you. These shops function drop-off places, or you may schedule a pickup.
A notice to contemplate is that many AMVETS web sites state that donated objects shouldn’t be older than 5 years. It’s thus price checking with them prematurely in case you are uncertain whether or not your previous blinds will move the standard test.
Web site: AMVETS Pickup or AMVETS Thrift Shops
The Arc
The Arc is a charitable group that helps these with mental and developmental disabilities. Their web site presents guests ten other ways to donate, from money and non-cash donations to giving inventory and cryptocurrency.
Most of The Arc’s chapters will take bodily donations, like previous blinds, however you will need to contact your native retailer to substantiate and organize a pickup. On their web site, merely navigate to the world to donate bodily objects. Discover your nearest chapter by getting into your property state, and the related contact info will seem.
Web site: The Arc
Furnishings Financial institution Community
The Furnishings Financial institution Community is a bunch of furnishings banks that goal to place furnishings, electronics, small home equipment, and houseware again into communities quite than landfills. They function in 34 states within the U.S., and you could find the contact particulars to your native furnishings financial institution within the listing on their web site.
Most, however not all, Furnishings Financial institution Community representatives provide free pickup of your donation, so it’s price contacting them to substantiate the provision of this service.
Web site: Furnishings Financial institution Community
Pickup Please
A pickup program that helps native, state, and nationwide applications for the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), is Pickup Please. Their web site presents a step-by-step information on how one can donate to them, together with scheduling a pickup and the best way to put together and label your donated objects.
The Pickup Please service presents donors comfort. For instance, you don’t have to remain house to attend for his or her pickup. You merely put your previous blinds in a field marked “VVA Donation Pickup” and go away it outdoors your home. Pickup Please can even electronic mail your tax deduction doc, making it faster and simpler so that you can full.
Web site: Pickup Please
Step 3: Put together and Ship the Blinds
After getting chosen a charity to simply accept your previous blinds, ensuring they appear presentable is in everybody’s finest curiosity. Take away the blinds from your property or place of business with care, conserving all of the {hardware} collectively to assist the brand new proprietor set up it simply. Lastly, correctly clear and disinfect each blind and check it to make sure it’s in good working order.
Relying in your chosen charity’s drop-off or pickup specs, it will be useful to pack up the blinds securely in order that it doesn’t injury whereas in transport. As soon as delivered or collected, keep in mind to request a donation receipt which you will have to assert in your taxes.
2. Recycle Your Outdated Blinds
One other strategy to half together with your previous blinds is to recycle them. This is a superb choice when you would quite have your blinds processed and made into new merchandise because it alleviates some environmental burdens.
Step 1: Assess Whether or not the Blinds Are Appropriate for Recycling
Not all blinds and shades may be recycled. The fabric they’re manufactured from and the therapy of the fabric will influence its capability to be recycled.
Recycling facilities are additionally very explicit concerning the kind of blinds they settle for. For instance, most (if not all) recycling facilities will settle for steel or plastic blinds. Nonetheless, some may not take wooden blinds. Subsequently, contacting your native recycling middle or scrap steel yard is important to substantiate that they may settle for your previous blinds.
Sort of blinds you can recycle:
- Steel blinds
- Plastic blinds, together with vinyl/PVC (affirm together with your native recycling middle)
- Actual, unfinished wooden blinds (i.e., not painted, handled, or varnished)
Sort of blinds you can’t recycle:
- Wooden blinds which were handled, painted, or varnished, and fake wooden blinds
- Mobile blinds (the combination of steel, wooden, and 100% polyester material makes them unrecyclable)
- Bamboo blinds (they’re normally handled, and the fibers can injury recycling machines)
- Material blinds
Step 2: Discover a Native Recycling Heart
Not all recycling facilities course of all recyclable supplies. You’ll thus should seek for a neighborhood recycling plant in line with the kind of blinds you’ve got. Earth 911 is a web site with a database to seek for any type of recycling middle close to you. If you happen to can’t discover a appropriate recycling middle, you may strive narrowing your search to extra particular directories. Listed here are just a few to contemplate:
Steel Recycling Vegetation
When you’ve got steel blinds, you may entry the ISRI database to seek for a steel recycling plant close to you. The web site lets you seek for recycling vegetation by commodity and space. You solely want to pick out the precise steel your blinds are manufactured from from the dropdown listing and enter your location. The positioning will then current the contact particulars of all of the steel recycling vegetation in your neighborhood.
Plastic Recycling Vegetation
To recycle plastic blinds (e.g., PVC or vinyl), you may go to the ENF listing, which lists 190 plastic recycling facilities. Merely click on on the middle’s identify for the related contact info.
You may also entry the Vinyl Institutes Listing when you’ve got previous vinyl blinds. The listing lists over 100 recycling vegetation in the USA. The search choice is predicated in your location and the kind of objects you want to recycle, displaying you the bodily deal with of an appropriate recycling plant.
Natural Recycling Vegetation
Wooden blinds are trickier to recycle since most include a hazardous therapy, paint, or varnish. Assuming you might be certain your previous blinds are created from pure, unfinished wooden, it’s price contacting the closest natural recycling vegetation within the ENF listing to substantiate whether or not they may settle for your previous blinds.
In case you are nonetheless uncertain whether or not your blinds may be recycled or if you don’t discover a appropriate recycling plant close to you, you may contact Blinds To Go®. As talked about earlier than, this blinds firm will assess its materials and recycle it accordingly. If it isn’t ideally suited for recycling, they may donate it in your behalf.
Step 3: Put together and Ship the Blinds
Make sure that you dismantle your blinds earlier than you’ve got them collected or ship them to the related recycling middle. Which means eradicating all of the carry cords, ladder cords, and different elements from the headrail. You must solely be left with the slats that should be recycled. If essential, give them a fast wipe-down with a moist fabric to make sure they’re clear.
3. Repurpose Your Outdated Blinds
Repurposing is a superb technique to maintain your previous blinds however nonetheless use them. Repurposing your previous blinds is similar to recycling them. You can provide them a brand new goal as an alternative of taking them to a recycling plant to be processed. This technique offers you an opportunity to get inventive. It’s also a wonderful alternative for teenagers to get entangled in DIY arts and crafts.
Step 1: Repurpose the Blinds
All blinds may be repurposed, no matter their materials. Listed here are just a few common concepts for issues that you may create utilizing the slats of most aged blinds:
- Make labels for bins and containers.
- Give a mirror a sunburst edge with steel, plastic, or wood slats. Right here’s how.
- Minimize aluminum, vinyl, or material slats to the popular measurement and add a string or a ribbon to make bookmarks.
- Make a planter slat wall with wooden or plastic blind slats. Right here’s how.
- Use the blind slats as backyard dividers.
- Use steel, plastic, or wooden blind slats to create an ornamental out of doors trellis. Right here’s how.
- In case you are busy portray partitions, use the blind slats to chop in.
- Use versatile blind slats, like vinyl or aluminum, to unfold glue when doing different DIY initiatives.
- Use sturdy blind slats as drawer dividers.
- Make varied vacation decorations.
Some initiatives are extra appropriate for particular supplies. Listed here are some concepts on how one can repurpose your previous blinds, relying on the fabric they’re manufactured from:
Steel Blinds
Steel blinds, like aluminum, are a robust but versatile materials that’s straightforward to take care of. The slats of a steel blind are good for doing the next:
- Scrape crumbs from the desk or clear a countertop after working with bread dough.
- Use the slats to retrieve objects from hard-to-reach locations.
Plastic Blinds
Plastic blinds (fake wooden and vinyl/PVC) may be very malleable or sturdy relying on their gauge (i.e., thickness). It’s a worthwhile materials that can be utilized as observe:
- Make a becoming for a chandelier or lamp.
- Use them round a backyard’s edge.
- Weave it to make a basket (utilizing a thinner, versatile vinyl).
Wooden Blinds
Picket blinds are strong and versatile and may be repurposed in some ways. Right here’s the best way to get inventive with wood slats:
- Clad furnishings to provide it a brand new look. Right here’s how.
- Make placing frames to your pictures.
- Create huge, rustic letters that you should utilize as wall artwork.
- Minimize the slats smaller and use them to degree furnishings.
- Create an accent wall. Right here’s how.
- Make kids’s props, like a highway barrier and different obstacles for faux play ‘on the highway.’
Bamboo Blinds
Bamboo blinds are low cost, malleable, and may simply be handled or painted. Repurpose your previous bamboo blinds by making an attempt the next:
- Minimize the bamboo blinds to the scale you need and paint photos or patterns on the floor to create a murals – good for hanging in your wall.
- Minimize them to measurement for use as placemats.
- Use them as beach- or picnic mats.
- Use the blinds to make lampshades.
Material Blinds
Material blinds are nice for repurposing since they can’t be recycled. Slightly than throwing it away, it’s best to strive your hand on the following initiatives:
- Replace your mattress’s headboard by weaving previous linen blinds over the board and stapling it into place.
- Minimize the blinds into giant sufficient sizes for use as rags.
- Minimize and weave the material slats to make placemats.
Mobile Blinds
Mobile and honeycomb blinds are slightly trickier to repurpose, given their form. Nonetheless, you may nonetheless do the next to supply them with new life:
- You should utilize the blinds to make a Japanese fan.
- Use the blinds to make varied occasion and vacation decorations, like ornamental banners, vacation garlands, or door wreaths.
Step 2: Reuse, Donate or Promote Your Creations
After getting efficiently repurposed your previous blinds, it’s as much as you whether or not you reuse them or donate them to somebody (a few of these initiatives make an awesome present!). Whether it is distinctive sufficient, you may promote them – you may even discover a hidden ardour that would flip right into a aspect enterprise.
Nonetheless, when you select to maneuver ahead with the repurposed blinds, you may relaxation assured that it now has extra use than it will have had if it ended up in a junkyard someplace.
4. Promote Your Outdated Blinds
One final choice you’ve got together with your previous blinds is to promote them. Most individuals may take into account this selection if the blinds had been costly, to start with, and of exceptionally top quality. Relying on the blinds you’ve got and the platform(s) you employ from which to promote them, they may go in a short time, or it would take weeks and even months for them to promote. So, remember that there is likely to be a ready interval.
Step 1: Assess Whether or not the Blinds Are Appropriate for Promoting
If you happen to take into account promoting previous blinds or shades, they need to nonetheless be in correct working situation and look the half. If want be, give them a good clear earlier than you place them up on the market. It would solely be a waste of your time and efforts when you attempt to promote used blinds which can be broken or frayed.
Step 2: Discover a Platform on Which to Promote Used Blinds
You may promote your previous blinds by placing an advert within the categorized part of your native newspaper or promoting them via your native consignment or vintage store. Nonetheless, promoting your previous blinds on-line is simpler. You’ll attain much more potential consumers and promote it sooner and with minimal effort.
Listed here are a few of the most respected on-line promoting platforms on which to promote your previous blinds:
eBay
eBay might be some of the well-known platforms for promoting new or used items. You might have the choice to promote your previous blinds at public sale or at a hard and fast fee. An public sale may not all the time get you the value you need, however it’s a a lot quicker strategy to half together with your merchandise. Nonetheless, in case you are set on a selected price ticket, you may go for the fixed-rate commercial.
eBay’s web site has some worthwhile tips for creating an awesome itemizing. For instance, you may write a standout title, take good-quality pictures of your merchandise, and set the proper value. Begin by organising an account, then create and handle your itemizing till it has been offered.
Platform service price: 13%
Web site: eBay
Craigslist
Some of the visited market web sites in the united statesis Craigslist. It really works like the standard newspaper advert part – solely on-line. You may listing your previous blinds free of charge; the method solely takes a couple of minutes.
To promote your previous blinds on Craigslist, go to the web site, choose your property state, and publish to classifieds. You’ll then select to promote your merchandise, enter all of the required posting info, and add a photograph.
Platform service price: 0%
Web site: Craigslist
Fb Market
Suppose you might be like thousands and thousands of different individuals and have a Fb account. In that case, you may simply promote your previous blinds on Fb Market. No charges are concerned in posting an advert, and you’ll simply attain a variety of individuals inside your local people or your state.
Select to create a list on Fb Market and observe the straightforward steps. You may create a list from a pc or utilizing your cell phone. A terrific function is including as much as ten photos of your previous blinds to the itemizing and setting your location.
Platform service price: 0%
Web site: Fb Market
OfferUp
OfferUp is a web based market that you may entry by downloading the app in your telephone and opening an account. Itemizing your previous blinds will come for free of charge on OfferUp, however different fees like delivery or service charges might apply when you promote your blinds.
In addition to delivery the merchandise, you even have the choice to fulfill a purchaser in particular person, which may be organized via the app. One other thrilling function of OfferUp is that consumers can provide a counter value to your objects, which you’ll be able to both settle for or decline.
Platform service price: 12.9% or a minimal of $1.99
Web site: OfferUp
Bonanza
Bonanza is a superb platform for promoting previous blinds. The most effective function is its integration with Google, which means you’re going to get loads of visitors to your itemizing. It’s particularly efficient when you take into account going larger and promoting items as a sideline enterprise. On their web site, you simply choose the tab that permits you to begin free of charge. Then, you proceed to open an account and arrange your itemizing.
There aren’t any itemizing charges on Bonanza, however they may cost you a service price based mostly on the worth of the merchandise you promote. For instance, in case your previous blinds promote for lower than $500, you’ll pay 3.5%. For items valued at greater than $500, you pay 3.5% + 1.5% of the quantity exceeding $500.
Platform service price: Minimal of three.5%
Web site: Bonanza
Bookoo
Bookoo is a superb family-friendly choice when you want to solely join with potential consumers in your hometown. You may obtain the Bookoo app or go to their web site to open an account. As soon as confirmed, you may listing as many objects on their platform as you would like – free of charge.
It retains what you are promoting native, so there can be no delivery concerned in any transaction. As quickly as a group member needs to purchase your previous blinds, a neighborhood pickup may be organized between you and the related purchaser. As a lot as this function is an upside, sadly, it means you received’t have the ability to attain an enormous viewers. Nonetheless, it’s appropriate for networking and assembly different locals.
Platform service price: 0%
Web site: Bookoo
Aptdeco
In case your previous blinds are in good situation, you may take into account promoting them on Aptdeco. Aptdeco is a platform that sells items associated to your property, like lighting, décor, furnishings, rugs, and out of doors and backyard objects.
On the web site, all blinds are listed underneath the class ‘curtains’, so it is likely to be useful to browse and see what’s already on provide to organize your itemizing. The most effective factor about Aptdeco is that they may contact up each itemizing (e.g., improve images or add info) to make your merchandise promote quicker.
Platform service price: 23%
Web site: Aptdeco
eBid
The web market, eBid, is like eBay. It additionally has the choice of auctioning your merchandise. But, the low service price is a sexy function that distinguishes it from its extra well-known rival.
To begin promoting, merely entry the eBid web site and start by choosing the class that applies to the previous blinds you wish to promote (i.e., house and backyard). You can be directed to open an account and begin placing your free itemizing collectively.
Platform service price: 3%
Web site: eBid
Step 3: Hold or Donate the Proceeds
After getting offered your previous blinds, it’s pure to wish to preserve the cash you created from them. You may want the proceeds to go in direction of a brand new pair of blinds or to deal with your self to one thing particular.
Nonetheless, it’s price contemplating donating the proceeds to a charity the place they may use the much-needed funds for no matter wants they’ve to meet their mission.
By promoting your previous blinds, you additionally see the merchandise’s worth and may thus declare the precise quantity again from the IRS.
