ORLAND PARK A HUB FOR RECYCLING, DONATING, RESELLING

Originally Printed:  February 3, 2013

By now, you are one month into your cleaning, organizing and sprucing up — so, what are you going to do with all that unwanted stuff?

Luckily, Orland Park is rife with places to donate, resell, shred or re-purpose your items.

If you have outdated computers, it is important to wipe out your sensitive information. Remember, electronics no longer will be collected in the regular trash.

Instead, bring your cyber castoffs to the new permanent collection site at 16125 Wolf Road, Orland Park. The site is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. There, they collect no-longer-needed equipment and have teamed with Vintage Tech Recyclers, of Romeoville, to provide a responsible electronics recycling service.

Vintage Tech is an R2-, ISO 14001- and WBENC-certified company. Vintage Tech ensures its customers that electronics are properly handled and recycled, and all hard drives are protected using NIST 800-88 compliant software wiping.

Information: www.orlandtwp.org/content/electronics-recycling.

Also, Sandburg High School will accept computer parts for students in its technology department. These future techno-whiz kids can repurpose, experiment or reuse some of the old parts to build new or upgrade old computers.

Did you go through your medicine chest and find unwanted or expired prescriptions? Recently, Orland Park announced that it collects no-longer-needed prescriptions from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays at the Orland Park Police Station, 15100 S. Ravinia Ave. The village will collect and dispose of pill-form prescriptions — no liquid, aerosol, sharps or syringes.

Magazines have a habit of perpetuating. It seems no sooner do you get an issue, than another follows before you have a chance to peruse the last.

If the information contained therein is timely, and that time has passed, pass them on. Doctors’ waiting offices and senior living centers are some places to consider donating reading material.

I just learned the Epilepsy Foundation will take them as a pickup donation; however, not all agencies accept magazines, so ask when you schedule your pickup.

Which leads to some other donations sites around town. Some are strictly donation, where you will receive a receipt for a tax deduction when you prepare your yearly filing. Just remember to list the items you donated and an approximate value.

Neat Repeats, 9028 W. 159th St., Orland Park, accepts donations for a tax receipt, then donates proceeds to the Crisis Center of South Suburbia.

Savers, 15625 S. 94th Ave., Orland Park; and Spree, 15052 S. LaGrange Road, Orland Park, also collect donations and give you a tax receipt. Each location benefits different charities.

Books, board games, CDs, DVDs, VHS, PC software and games, vinyl records and many other items are accepted at Half Price Books, 31 Orland Square Road, Orland Park. Simply bring in your items (preferably in boxes or bags), and the staff will sort through them (you may have to wait during peak hours).

Staff will then offer to buy the articles. You may choose to cash out all or some items.

Inspired yet? How about tackling that teen’s room? Or even your closet?

If you are downsizing your wardrobe, Plato’s Closet, 9234 W. 159th St., Orland Park; and Clothes Mentor, 9238 W. 159th St., Orland Park, will purchase clothing, purses, shoes and other wearable items.

Watch out — after gaining a little pocket money, you might be tempted to purchase some of the merchandise while you are waiting!

New Uses, 9020 W. 159th St., is a new vendor in Orland Park. This store is billed as a resale store for the home and accepts small appliances and other gently used household items and offers cash on the spot. Check the website at www.newuses.com for a list of items the store buys.

Finally, if you have sensitive papers or documents, it is best to shred them. There are shredding events at some local banks and other secure venues. This will give you peace of mind that your identity and confidential information will not fall into the wrong hands.

So, clean out the house, load up your car, make some cash or get some deductions come tax time!