Fifty per cent of homeowners indicated that their garage was the most disorganized part of their home. Many of us would be embarrassed if our neighbours saw the mess behind closed doors. While summer is the ideal time for fixing up our homes, refreshing our walls, and doing yard work, the storage of items associated with these projects often becomes chaotic. We’re here to give you some tips on how to tidy it up and how to recycle those unused items. Now, let’s get onto the organizing!
1. Dispose of your flammable liquids safely
Flammable liquids, such as gasoline, BBQ lighter fluid, and camping fuel, are commonly stored in garages or sheds. If you no longer need these products, you can dispose of them safely by dropping them off for free at one of our many recycling locations in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. Below are a few common items stored in garages and where to recycle them:
- Gasoline: Unless you plan on using this for your car or boat, gasoline can often be forgotten about! You can bring your gasoline (in a ULC-approved gas can or jerry can) to a recycling location that accepts these items.
- BBQ lighter fluid & camping fuel: With camping season coming to an end, you may have some leftover BBQ lighter fluid or camping fuel. Look no further, you can bring it to a location that accepts these items in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.
- Other flammable liquids: Check out the Household Hazardous Waste section on our website to see what products are accepted in your province.
Recycle your BBQ lighter fluid and camping fuel at one of our designated recycling locations in Canada.
2. Burnt out lights and old fixtures
Have you ever replaced the light bulbs in your home and forgotten the burnt-out ones in the garage? In the moment, you put them in a box and place them on the shelf but end up forgetting about them for months. You’ve told yourself you’ll get rid of them later, but it never happened. This is your push to dispose of them properly! If you’re in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island, you can recycle them for free. Find out which lighting products are accepted in your province by visiting our lights recycling page.
If you’re in British Columbia, you can also recycle your light fixtures. Do you have any old lights or fixtures that are sitting in your garage and don’t go with the aesthetics of your space? You can either bring these to your local thrift store, sell them on Facebook Marketplace, or bring it to your local recycling depot. Other fixtures you may find in your garage that are accepted in British Columbia’s program include bike lights, desk lamps, flashlights, string lights and more! See a full list of accepted light fixtures.
An alternative option for outdated light fixtures is to give them a mini makeover! Paint the base and update the frame to suit your style. One of the biggest trends is adding some texture— you can find a cool spray paint or get creative and utilize our PaintShare program! Need inspiration for brightening up your lamps? Pinterest has an entire “Lamp Makeover” thread that’s pretty amazing. Give the lamp a new life and bring it back into your home.
Transform your old lamps with a DIY makeover, or recycle them responsibly.
3. Tidying your garage and organizing your space is worth it!
Many of us don’t have a rhyme or reason as to where we’ve placed things in our garage or storage unit. We all have those items that just sit there with no purpose. This is a great opportunity to go through everything and donate any of those possessions that don’t “spark joy” a la Marie Kondo.
If you haven’t touched it in over a year, there’s no point in letting it take up space. We all like to keep those sentimental items – so if it brings nostalgia, find a way to keep that special item. If the actual item doesn’t suit your space, consider taking a photo of it so you can still cherish the memories that come with it.
Buying cute baskets and containers can make this task fun while making your space look 10x better. Head to your local second-hand store or Buy Nothing group to grab some baskets/containers for your smaller trinkets. Have some fun with it, and add labels to be even more organized.
Finally, get those shelving units in tip-top shape by giving them a good clean and adding some unique baskets. They don’t have to match to look cute and organized!
Organize your space with baskets and memories that spark joy and create a tidying garage.
4. What to do with old paint?
Have you finished up all those summer renovation projects? If you’re up for a DIY project, check out these 4 ideas for your leftover paint, and get those creative juices flowing! If you’re not planning on using the leftover paint within the next year, you can bring it to one of our paint recycling locations to recycle unwanted paint before it expires. This way, you’re helping to protect the environment by keeping it out of landfills and waterways.
To learn more about what type of paint is accepted in your province, visit our paint program page.
Use leftover paint for creative DIYs or recycle it responsibly to keep our environment clean.
5. Broken electric outdoor power equipment
While you are tidying up your garage, you might come across old friends — your lawnmower or the leaf blower that helped you through countless autumns and other tools that have served you well over the years. These pieces of equipment have been there for you, but now they might be showing their age.
It’s important to give these old electric power tools a proper send-off. In British Columbia, you can bring your broken or outdated electric outdoor power equipment to one of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute of Canada (OPEIC) recycling locations. In doing so, you’re not only clearing up space in your garage but also contributing to a cleaner, more sustainable environment by ensuring that valuable materials are reused.
Recycling electric outdoor power equipment can recover valuable materials, such as copper and aluminum, which helps conserve resources while reducing landfill space. So, as you make room for new, more efficient tools, remember to recycle your old electric power equipment.
6. Repurpose
Is there anything in your garage or storage unit that you’ve simply forgotten about? Maybe you had no use for it a few years ago, but it’s now a trendy item. Or maybe you have a new hobby that it would be perfect for. We recommend browsing Pinterest for some fun DIY ideas that can transform any of your pieces. Whether it’s adding a coat of paint, or putting it on display in your kitchen, you can always find ways to refresh a piece in your home.
Reinvent forgotten pieces in your garage to give them a new purpose.
Let the nostalgia kick in. Happy organizing!
