Ways to get rid of your old mattress

We’ve come across a startling statistic that might deter any of us from getting a good night of sleep. Ironically, it’s related to the very thing you sleep on – your mattress. Woman Tribune recently relayed this no-snooze news:

“About 20 million mattresses are thrown away every year just in the United States and for every 10,000 people that either donate or recycle their mattress, it would save eight feet of landfill space – An entire American football field.” ( “Donate or Recycle Your Old Mattress.” Woman Tribune – December 12, 2008 by Holly).

The key to sweeter dreams and a sweeter environment is simple: donate or recycle your used mattresses once you’re ready to replace them with new ones. As added incentive to take this approach, keep in mind that many waste management companies won’t accept your old mattresses anyway.

Unfortunately, donation centers aren’t always accepting of this particular item either because of sanitation concerns. However, because of mere need, halfway homes and crisis centers will be more likely to accept what they can get. Additionally, Craigs List shoppers might be eager to accept a mattress they have no problem cleaning themselves. If you attempt to give your mattress to other charitable organizations beyond those mentioned, clean the mattress yourself.

We provide a chemical-free cleaning solution below, but always consult the organization you’re donating to, as they might have a preferred way of mattress cleaning. When you call to see if your mattress will be accepted, the proposition of accepting a used mattress will be more appealing if the mattress is clean. The Instructables website served as a helpful resource for the best way to clean a mattress. These instructions follow:

1. Gather items you need. They include: bicarbonate or soda (available in your local grocery store), a sieve, and vacuum cleaner.

2. Poor the bicarbonate or soda into the sieve and simultaneously sift it onto the mattress.

3. Let the bicarbonate or soda settle onto and into the sofa for a whole day.

4. Vacuum the mattress thoroughly. (www.instructables.com: “How to Clean a Mattress.” )

When donating isn’t an option or recycling seems like a better one, Colorado does have local resources. *Hint: We’re one of them. Search Earth911.org for additional local solutions. Or, just be more mindful of the components of a mattress. While separating materials within your mattress might seem daunting, you might be able to get money for some of the products that make up the whole. Green Living Tips describes some of these components as fabric, foam, cotton, wood, and steel springs. They go into additional detail about what can be done with these items:

“The used foam can be turned into carpet underlay or insulation. The wooden frames can be chipped and used as fuel, the cotton is used in industrial machinery oil filters and other textile applications. The springs, made from steel have a high market value as scrap . . . .” (http://www.greenlivingtips.com: “Mattress Recycling.” December 27, 2009.)

March 9, 2010 | Green Tips, Recycling, Resell | 2 Comments »

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Send 100,000 Care Packages to the Troops

March 5, 2010 | Charity | No Comments »

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Charitable Donations and Tax Deductions

With April 15th just around the corner, many of us are feeling that annual anxiety linked to tax preparation. Typically, it starts sneaking up amid all the hustle and bustle of the holidays. By the time the holidays pass, many of us are 10 pounds heavier but our wallets are 10 pounds lighter. Instead of beginning the New Year with stress-free sensations of peace and plenty, we’re stressed and strategizing ways to pay back holiday bills and to pay for what we owe for taxes and their preparation. If you find yourself among this group, Gone for Good wants to remind you that you still have the opportunity to maximize your refund before the 2010 tax deadline. You can do this by asking your tax consultant to apply deductions from donations you made throughout the previous year. Donations include monetary contributions as well as tangible goods you gave away. However, if you don’t do some leg-work in regard to your drop -offs, you may not be strategically aligned for the best refund outcome.

Detailed-tracking ensures you get the most value for your drop-off. Turbo Tax provides detailed-tracking thorough “It’s Deductible Online” (www.itsdeductible.com). This feature serves as a resource in the following ways:

• Based on the style and condition of non-cash donations, they assign a re-sale value to each item. Additionally, these values are assigned under IRS guidelines. Known as Fair Market Values, they ensure charitable donations are evaluated correctly and in a way that lowers the risk of tax auditing.
o According to the IRS, “you can no take a deduction for clothing donated after August 17, 2006, unless it is in good condition or better. An item of clothing that is not in good used condition or better for which you take a deduction of more than $500 dollars requires a qualified appraisal. Visit http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p561.pdf for additional information on IRS guidelines.
• You can continuously input and save information on their site throughout the year, so you don’t lose track of your donations and can essentially see how your savings are adding up.

If you choose not to use a resource like the one mentioned above, consider utilizing your own spreadsheet throughout the year. Gone for Good provides a great template for this. When you request our services, you can look forward to receiving a detailed spreadsheet at the end of our process. It clearly displays which items we sold for you and which items we donated. You’ll also get a check back for 30% of profits acquired from your items. This documentation shows the amount you are getting back and help in maximizing your refund. At the end of year, you can supply our spreadsheet, along with any additions you made throughout the year, to a tax consultant. Gone for Good recommends utilizing United Tax Service, Inc. (303-667-6545) http://unitedtaxhelp.com/

They’ll do the work required in matching your items with values designated by the IRS. In the end, you can take credit for your refund outcome, because you were savvy enough to track your items and their corresponding values.

February 22, 2010 | Charity | No Comments »

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Buying New Equipment for the Olympics

Since you’re reading this blog on Gone for Good’s website, we know something about you: You’re someone who wants to get rid of the old to make way for the new. It’s likely that this desire gripped you particularly hard after you rang in the New Year. Along with the resolutions you compiled January 1st, you’re asking yourself, “What items do I need to purge and what items do I need to obtain to make 2010 a better year?” By now you know Gone for Good is the innovative solution for responsibly getting rid of the items you don’t need. Did you know we can also serve as a resource in guiding you to new items, as well? We try to stay on top of consumer trends and how they impact communities, the environment, and the ideology we’ve captured – to reduce, resell and recycle! During February we’re mindful of two such trends:

• Before the anticipated Winter Olympics, purchasing items like 42 inch plasmas might be at the fore-front of consumer’s wish-lists.
• Purchasing a plush, new sofa to take in all the sports, might come in as close-second to that first digital desire.

Gone for Good’s associates are enthusiasts of the latest technology, the comfiest surroundings, and the ultimate bargain, so we’ll share a little knowledge we’ve gained on all. At the same time we’ll remind you on how dispose of your old products in a way that’s not harmful to the environment.
Current economic conditions have retailers promoting incredible discounts on items like coveted 42 inch plasmas, convincing people there’s no better time to buy! In response, we say there’s not! However, as you get rid of your old T.V.s, utilize available resources. Our business promises to serve as a reputable recycler and to assist in the responsible disposal of e-waste. However, when we aren’t an option, we still want to provide consumers with valuable resources that allow them to put responsibility in their own hands. Some of these local resources follow below:

• I Recycle Here; 1865 W Union Ave, Unit U; Sheridan, CO 80110
• Techno Rescue; 6140 E. 49th Ave; Commerce City, CO 80022
• Waste Management Recycling America e-Cycling; 3730 E. 48th St.; Denver, CO 80216

 
On a more national-scale, one of the most beneficial resources for disposing of e-waste is a partnership between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and leading consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers. [http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/plugin/partners.htm], some of the most notable Plug-in To e-Cycling programs are highlighted. We’ve listed them for you below:

 
• Staples offers consumers in-store recycling of computers, monitors, printers, desktop copiers and other electronic waste for a fee of $10 per item
• Best Buy offers consumer electronics recycling programs in all Best Buy U.S. stores. Best Buy will accept most electronics, including TVs, DVD players, computer monitors, cell phones and more. Consumers can bring in up to two items a day per household
• Sony’s expansion of its partnership with Waste Management to more than 160 drop off locations in the US, where consumers can recycle any Sony-branded products, including televisions, at no cost.
• LG’s launch of its partnership with Waste Management, also offering free recycling of LG, Zenith and Goldstar brands..
• Partnership between Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba (via their recycling platform, the Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company) and Goodwill Industries of Central Texas to pilot television collection and recycling.
• Toshiba’s free online take-back service for any brand of selected consumer electronics.
• Free in-store take-back or mail-in recycling programs for cell phones and other mobile devices.

As you can see, there are plenty of options for getting rid of old T.V.s. Getting rid of old furniture is even easier. Again, we can help take that old sofa off your hands during a scheduled pick-up, or plenty of local charities are constantly looking for new inventory to offer their patrons. At this point I’m not sure we’ve convinced you why it’s necessary to make an additional purchase. You’re right — a plasma is wish and want enough. But be aware that Dan Butler, vice president of retail operations at the National Retail Federation, was recently quoted in Real Simple as regaling February as the time to “shop the sales for 30 to 60 percent off. . . Last year Room & Board and Ashley Furniture HomeStore offered major markdowns.” Are you convinced yet? With the help of companies like those listed earlier, handling e-waste isn’t as challenging. And with sales statistically up for T.V.’s and furniture, watching the Olympics this month won’t be as challenging either. Be convinced. And this weekend all you’ll have left to do is sit back and relax. . . hopefully in front of a new screen on top of a new sofa.

Go USA!

February 11, 2010 | Recycling | No Comments »

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What to do with that old desk

Here at Gone for Good we run into companies and homes that are getting rid of old desks and electronics.  We can search on the Internet and find the correct way to recycle our e-waste.  It gets a little more difficult when trying to find a better home for that beat up old desk.  Enter furniture recycle and you will find charities asking for gently used furniture.  At this point, you are not sure if you can give away your desk.  Enter wood recycle and you only find some recycle centers that will accept tree branches.  Post a free sign on the desk in your driveway and soon you will be receiving some phone calls from unhappy neighbors.

There are two ways you can help yourself and the environment:

1. Take a picture of it and post it up on Craigslist for free.  This is a great source for people to reuse items.
2. Break it down and drive it over to Mountain States Wood Recyclers

Mountain States Wood Recyclers
2300 West Radcliff Avenue
Englewood, CO 80110-5421
(303) 789-3356

Here is your checklist before you bring it over to Mountain States:

• Break down the desk and take all metal out. Take out the handles, the hinges and large screws.  (small nails can be left in)
• Make sure the furniture is real wood.  Fake wood, or formica tops are not accepted.  You can try to peel off the formica, but this can be difficult if you don’t have the correct tools.
• Have cash ready for the drop off.  It may cost up to $15 for a drop off.  The best time do wood furniture recycling is when you also have some leaves or branches from the yard that can be added to your drop off.

 

 

Be Sure to come back during the Spring and find some great prices on landscaping material!  Thank you being an environmentally responsible consumer

January 26, 2010 | Recycling | 1 Comment »

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Recycling Your Electronics

Tossing millions of computers, TVs, and cell phones into landfills poses serious health and environmental risks. Electronic equipment contains toxic materials, including lead, cadmium, and mercury, that may leak into the soil and ground water when disposed of in landfills. In fact, the average CRT computer monitor contains four to eight pounds of lead on average. Keeping these and other materials found in electronic products, including precious metals and plastics, out of landfills also means they can be recycled, which conserves natural resources.

The good news is that you can de-clutter your home AND protect the environment. Most electronic components can now be reused, recycled, and diverted from the waste stream. For example, approximately 90 percent of computer contents can be reused or recycled. You can help by donating or recycling as many of your electronic items as possible through an environmentally friendly source, spreading the news about e-waste recycling and reuse options to your friends and neighbors, and encouraging your community and companies you do business with to expand responsible electronics waste recycling programs.

Learn more about recycling your electronics here. Or call us at 303-736-2387 and we can come pick it up.

March 26, 2009 | Denver, Recycling | 2 Comments »

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Composting

Organic material makes up about 58 percent of what Denver residents send to the landfill every year. These items can be composted, which is the controlled decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms. This process results in compost, a crumbly, earthy-smelling, nutrient-rich, soil-like material.

Read more about Backyard Composting Information.

March 26, 2009 | Denver | No Comments »

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Going Back to Basics

March 26, 2009 | Green Tips | 1 Comment »

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