My 2024 Responsible Spring Cleaning Guide
Here's me trying my best to be mindful about how I dispose.
For folks celebrating Lunar New Year, January is a time to do spring cleaning.
For some, you may want to give the items you no longer want a second chance at life instead of throwing them away because that’s too ‘sayang’ (translate: precious) - and that’s great!
But that also means organisations that accept secondhand goods often get overwhelmed with things people discard with the good intention of increasing the item’s longevity.
Which doesn’t help them, and just helps us absolving some consumerism guilt. (I get it, I’ve been there. I’m now trying to be better.)
It’s going to take some time, but I think this time is important if we truly want to make a difference to reduce the impact of the things we consume.
To short circuit that process, I put together this guide that consolidates a variety of ways to deal with things you no longer want and share it with folks who have great uses for them.
I think it’s possible for us to be more intentional about what we consume and dispose. I hope this guide will be useful to you.
This guide can be used anytime!
Let’s go item by item.
👕 Clothes and textiles 👕
I want to talk about how I’m sorting my stuff which informs where I give my items to.
Responsible disposal of your items means ensuring that things get passed on to places that can best use these items whether it’s to get the item resold, rehomed, reused, repaired, recycled or disposed of.
Resell
Sometimes you just have great things that you rarely use, and still holds some value. Hence you can sell it on these platforms and wait for a willing buyer to get some great moolah.
Carousell [Takes time but you get $$]
Facebook Marketplace [Takes time but you get $$] - I highly recommend that you search for groups with keywords like “Secondhand furniture SG” or “Freegan SG”, there are so many.
These applies to ALL categories so I won’t belabour the platforms and move on to other initiatives. Selling your stuff on these platforms take time, so if you want a quick way to get money or credits:
Refash [Get some $ for clothes brought]
What: A secondhand store that allows you to bulk sell for a small amount, which is reasonable if you want a quick way to deal with great things you no longer wear. Whatever that doesn’t pass their quality test may be recirculated (I wanna find out more about this tbh) but you can always take them back.
Prep needed: Fill your bag with clothes (Min. 10 pieces!), but note that the payout ranges from $0.50 to above $15 depending on the value and also resale-ability - see their Payout info here or below!
How & where: Drop it off at any REFASH store islandwide here (see opening hours/T&Cs) or opt for courier pick-up.
The Fashion Pulpit [Get credits for clothes brought]
What: A circular fashion hub that allows you to swap clothing, at a small fee! Choose a membership, bring in your clothes, they conduct quality check, give you points which then acts as the credit to spend on other swapped clothes in store.
Prep needed: The number of clothes you can bring in depends on your chosen membership, and also make sure to only bring in items they accept. Refer to the infographic below on membership types and their Swap Policy for what’s accepted.
How & where: Located at OUE Downtown, near Tanjong Pagar/Shenton Way MRT!
Decathlon’s ‘Second Life’ initiative
What: A mega sports store, but they also have a really interesting resale option! This ““provide users the option to purchase returned goods in resellable conditions at even lower prices.” Find out how they gauge these conditions here.
Prep needed: Check out this link to figure out what your items are worth!
How & where: Please see the above link to find out more details.
Rehome/Donate
If you’re okay to just pass on real good quality stuff that someone else could really use, check out the following:
Stay Gold Flamingo [Collecting unwanted denim jeans]
What: A bar that makes coasters out of denim. Get a free coffee, tea or sweet for your jeans from 15 Jan to 15 Feb.
Prep needed: If you have rather okay quality jeans that you don’t think someone else will buy, drop them off here!
How & Where: 69 Amoy Street, S 069888 (Please check opening hours)
FIN Crafted Goods [Collecting cotton and non-stretchy denim items]
What: They make custom aprons and bags, as well as repair your torn and worn denim jeans. One of my favourite crafters.
Prep needed: If you have good condition cotton materials or non-stretchy denim, jeans, drop them off here!
How & Where: 47 Jalan Pemimpin, Halcyon 2, #03-07, S 577200 (Open Tues-Fri 10am to 6pm, Sat from 12-8pm)
Perk by Kate [Accepts gently worn / old bras]
What: Local lingerie brand, Perk by Kate, is making their bra collection initiative indefinite! They’re working with Cloop to recycle old bras, but also donating those that are still in great condition to women who need them.
Prep needed: Sort your bras out into (1) gently worn and can be passed on to someone else (2) bras that you want to throw. Maybe separate the two? They collect sports bras too!
How & where: Drop off at their studio at, 134A Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068600
SSVP [Accepts clothes, accessories, bags, jeans]
What: Thrift shop by Society of St. Vincent de Paul Singapore (SSVP). They’re appealing for donations this January! Specifically for bags (no laptop bags or luggage though), pouches/small leather goods, accessories, costume jewellery, watches, men/women’s clothes (but no long-sleeved business shirts), bermudas and jeans.
Prep needed: Please make an appointment with them for drop-off. Donations are limited to 2 standard supermarket-sized bags due to space constraints. Items should be in good, undamaged, unsoiled conditions.
How & where: 501 Geylang Road, S 389459, Tues-Sun (except PH), 10am-4pm.
Nightingale Thrift [Accepts clothes, accessories, bags]
What: A charity thrift store that also supports the training of individuals with autism.
Prep needed: They’re only accepting 1-2 bags of clean, gently worn clothes per person as they may not be able to deal with too much at one time. Do drop them a DM on Instagram (nightingalethrift) so that they can confirm that there’s space available!
How & where: Queensway Shopping Centre, #03-05 (in a small corner!), Wed-Sun from 2-7PM.
Thryft [Accepts clothes]
What: Thryft is a sustainable thrift store based in Singapore for pre-loved books and clothes that contribute to social and environmental causes.
Prep needed: Clean, washed, gently worn Tops, Dresses, Activewear, Outerwear (Sweaters, Coats & Jackets), Shirts, Skirts, Jeans, Pants. Check out the guidelines here for what they accept & how to pack. Seal your bags/boxes tightly, label them with your name/email/date/whether you are trading-in or donating.
How & where: Pick-up available for 200 items & above only, at a fee of $15. If not drop off at, Warehouse Joy, 23 Kian Teck Road, #02-00, Singapore 628774 (via the Lift Lobby). Open from Mon-Fri, 9 am-5 pm.
Cloop [Accepts clothes, bags, shoes accessories]
What: A circular fashion enterprise focused on reducing fashion overconsumption and waste by helping consumers close the textile loop. They accept items that will then be recirculated locally via fashion swaps, open wardrobe thrift stores, upcycling, blessings and more.
Prep needed: Wash your clothes before sending it in. Look for the white bins! Yellow bins are for textile recycling (read on below)
How & where: Cloop HQ at City Sprouts (within Atmosphere Thai Bistro & Bar), 102 Henderson Rd, Singapore 159562, Open daily 10am-10pm, including P.H.
Olio [Give away items quickly]
What: Olio is a mobile app for sharing by giving away, getting, borrowing or lending things in your community for free.
Prep needed: Some nice photos and descriptors of what you’re selling, the condition that it’s in. It’s a gem of an app.
How & where: Download the app on the App Store and start listing!
Besides these efforts, you can also check out organisations that accept donations of secondhand goods:
❣ Salvation Army - besides offline stores, you can find their collection bins islandwide (see here). For furniture and bulky items, please Whatsapp them!
❣ MINDS - A lot of stuff from clothes, items, electronics, appliances, shoes, more. Donate at their stores - 800 Margaret Drive or 30 Woodlands Ring Road. Opening hours vary. Info here. Drop items off at MINDS Shops at Margaret (800 Margaret Drive), Woodlands (30 Woodlands Ring Road). Opening hours vary.
❣ Its Raining Raincoats - Men’s personal items from clothes, to bags, shoes, and more. Locate a drop-off point here and WhatsApp the relevant person-in-charge to coordinate a date and time. For bulkier items, do it separately – full details here.
❣ Metta Welfare Association - A lot of stuff from clothes, items, electronics, appliances, shoes, more but see their wishlist here to better match what they need! Deposit items at Metta Building’s recycle bins at B1, 32 Simei Street 1, S(529950).
Repurpose, repaired, upcycled.
Maybe you have a fabric you love, or a shirt that means something to you. Why not turn it into something else you can use?
Alt Native
What: A local initiative that provides upcycling service to transform your old clothes into something new that is personalised and customised. They provide re-fashioning services and conduct workshops.
Prep needed: With an item in mind, browse and select a refashion projects to rework your own clothes with Refashioners! If you have your own ideas, they can recommend a designer for you.
How & where: Do it all via their website, all details there.
Quilted by Derlyn
What: They design and make customized and readymade quilts in all sizes. Imagine memory quilts as well, quilts made from dear pieces that might be meaningful to you - like your old school tops maybe?
Prep needed: Check their Instagram for products and quilt sizes, fill up the order form in the bio and then they will get back!
How & where: Check their Instagram, drop off is at River Valley upon confirmation.
✳️ PRO TIP ✳️: Go to your neighborhood tailor and see what they can do :) Also buy from brands who repair things for you to make them last. The good folks at Recyclopedia.SG has created this useful map of repair shops listed by NEA.
Recycled, disposed
Why I don’t trust recycling initiatives of big fashion brands
Frankly, the clothing recycling initiatives of big fashion brands are dubious even though they are well intentioned. The little transparency around where donated items go to and how they’re sorted leave a bad taste in my mouth and I’d very much rather spend my time and intention giving my items to organisations that have the impetus to do some good. See below.
Recycled your stuff with Cloop and Kloth Circularity
Cloop and Kloth Circularity have textile donation bins all around Singapore, and even at void decks! They are working with Life Line Clothing Malaysia/Singapore, which is an ISO-certified textile recycling company, check out the process below.
Prep needed: They accept clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, belts, caps, and household items such as toys, pillows, towels, and linens, in any dry condition. Pack your donations in any bag (tie up) within 50x50cm, max 7kg. Do not leave anything outside of the bins.
Where: Find your nearest Cloop bins (throughout Singapore) or Kloth bins (at selected mosques).
Throw everything else away
Congratulations, you’ve reached the end of the thought process of disposing your thing more responsibly and alas, we have reached the landfill and incineration stage. I hope these are things are in trash quality.
👟 Shoes 👟
Donate
If they’re still in fab condition, please consider the places in the Clothing section above because they collect shoes too :)
Repair
Go to your local cobbler and see what they can do :) Also buy from brands who repair things for you to make them last. The good folks at Recyclopedia.SG has created this useful map of repair shops listed by NEA.
Recycle (🙊 a lil spicy)
A shoe recycling programme, launched in Jul’21, was aimed at transforming used sports shoes into materials that could be used for jogging tracks, fitness corners & playgrounds. While extremely well intentioned, a ‘lapse’ was found in the implementation by a Reuter journalist who used Bluetooth trackers and tracked where these shoes ended up. TLDR? Not where it’s supposed to.
In a statement, the organisations in charge removed the errant contractor and mentioned that they “will also be taking further steps to tighten up the process chain based on our learning from this incident” but I couldn’t find much information on how that’s done and whether there will be more transparency on the outcomes of this project!
I dropped them an email recently and am waiting to hear back (see below) - I’m not writing this to rush/blame anyone because I understand that these processes are tricky, complex and needs time. So I’m quite keen to see their response! But until then, I’m not recycling my shoes in these bins until I’m sure. If you still want to go ahead, you do you!
My email (12 Jan):
Their response (18 Jan):
📗 Kids items 📗
We know kids go through things fast! But check out this initiative:
Sell
Retykle
What: They accept children's clothes, shoes, accessories, nursery items, toys and maternity wear - from newborn to 14 years & Maternity
Prep needed: Check their accepted brands list here, book a drop-off or a pick up service and you’re good to go!
How & where: Check out this link to start the process.
📗 Books 📗
Donate
For those who bought books to read but did not, I see you. If they’re still in fab condition, please consider these places:
Thryft [trade in or donate books]
What: Thryft is a sustainable thrift store based in Singapore for pre-loved books and clothes that contribute to social and environmental causes. For the books that do not meet our quality assurance standards, they donate those still in readable conditions to non-profit organisations. For books that are no longer in readable condition, they recycle them with recycling partners Gee Hoe Seng Private Limited. For trade-ins, you get credits to spend!
Prep needed: Sort your books out! Check out the guidelines here for what they accept & how to pack. Seal your bags/boxes tightly, label them with your name/email/date/whether you are trading-in or donating).
How & where: Pick-up available for 200 items & above only, at a fee of $15. If not drop off at, Warehouse Joy, 23 Kian Teck Road, #02-00, Singapore 628774 (via the Lift Lobby). Open from Mon-Fri, 9 am-5 pm.
Books Beyond Borders [donate books]
What: A bookstore that helps girls in Nepal to go to school and follow their dreams because 5% of sales are invested into scholarships for those girls.
Prep needed: Prepare 2-3 photos of your books, submit photos to the chatbot to see if your books will be accepted!
How & where: They offer free doorstep pickups for 20 or more book donations, but otherwise they can be found at 33 Erskine Road, 01-08, Opp Maxwell Food Centre / MRT, 11am - 8pm daily
Recycle
You can recycle your books in our blue bins :) Maybe tie it up in a plastic bag in case irresponsible recyclers throw in some gross food or if the rain gets into it.
📰 Newspaper, Paper Bags, Containers, Packaging 📰
A bit of a niche category but that’s because there are organisations out there looking for certain things.
Our local wildlife rescuers need newspapers!
ACRES (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society) is looking for newspapers! So if you have some that you can spare, ideally in decent condition, please drop it over at:
ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre (AWRC)
91 Jalan Lekar
Singapore 698917
Mondays to Sundays from 9.30am to 5.00pm
Ground Up Initiative is collecting paper bags and plastic containers (with the red cap)!
Ground Up Initiative (GUI) is such a precious space, it’s a non-profit organisation that aims to connect people with the Earth, with each other and with themselves through nature.
If you have paper bags and plastic containers with the red cap (yes, the ones commonly seen during Lunar New Year), please drop it off at:
91 Lor Chencharu, Singapore 769201
*They’re also moving soon, which is bittersweet. Support their big move and learn all about it here!
Pass some used but still usable packaging to Package Pals and Oasis Beauty Kitchen!
We get a lot of stuff delivered and if you’re like me you’d have hoarded a bunch of these usable packaging. Alas, there are initiatives and organisations willing to accept them and use them for their own deliveries so check out these places.
Package Pals is a circular packaging initiative founded on the principles of Reduce and Reuse. If your packaging meet the criteria (see infographic below), remember to remove all identifying details and drop it off at Our Tampines Hub! They also have a resource matching sheet to match you to businesses who may need the packaging that you have.
Oasis Beauty Kitchen is accepting small and medium boxes! Bring them over to their Beauty Kitchen (280 Joo Chiat Road) which they will use for e-commerce deliveries. Please follow this guide - must be stiff and sturdy, and be slightly bigger than the size of your palm.
🐕 Pet supplies or human items for pets 🐕
Resell or rehome
For the Barks [Sell or donate treats, leashes, harnesses, etc]
What: A Singapore-based Telegram channel to share your pet’s pre-loved items for sale or donation.
Prep needed: Take a photo of your item, put a description and wait for a buyer!
How & where: You can join the Telegram channel here.
Friends of CaresJB [Donate treats, slip leashes, etc]
These folks are collecting good condition items for shelter dogs in Johor Bahru, Malaysia! If you have stuff your pet no longer uses, or extra dog or cat food, dog beds, collars (esp slip leashes!), cages, medicine for dogs and cats - they may need them! Reach out to them to find out what they need on Instagram (@friendsofcaresjb)
OSCAS [Accepting towels, wet wipes, dog beds, more]
What: Oasis Second Chance Animal Shelter (OSCAS) is a registered charity and non-profit dog shelter that is looking for items to help their shelter dogs!
Prep needed: Take a look at their wishlist and see what you can support with such as clean large bath towels, collars and more. Then drop them an email.
How & where: Email them at animalwelfare@oscas.sg with a description and a photo of the items.
📱 Electronics 📱
For items with personal data, please wipe them out first before throwing them away.
Please do not dispose any batteries into bins. Tape the ends or wires of rechargeable batteries and seal any leaking batteries in leak-proof container/bag before recycling them.
Trade in (and get $ or discount)
Samsung Trade Up / Trade In program. [Accepts various models of phones]
This was damn confusing but I called their hotline and spent 14 mins figuring this out. So Samsung works with 2 different vendors to run 2 programs which are essentially the same thing (you getting some value for an old phone) with different mechanisms. I created a table to help you decide what you want to do. More details at this link though.
Apple Trade In initiative (online only, it seems)
I could not find the number to call. Seems straightforward, so I hope no one gets hit by the terms and conditions. Go to the link here, select the device, prepare your device (remove data, check condition, pack) and then give it to the courier.
It’s weird how certain brands (e.g. Dyson) have ad-hoc trade in initiatives, and also there isn’t any transparency/traceability reports easily found - unless I dig into sustainability reports - to also track what happens to these items. Wish there was though.
Repair
If you have a piece of electronic or thing that you love, consider repairing it! Besides repair shops scattered around Singapore, you can consider this local initiative, Repair Kopitiam. It operates as a community repair meetup on the last Sunday of every month but you’d have to make a booking here. Slots are tricky to get, so maybe check often?
Recycle
Sometimes I wish I can repair these things, but some brands (cough) just have to make their stuff so difficult to repair. So check out this map by the National Environment Agency on all the e-waste recycling points. Collection bins might be at your void deck, or your neighbourhood mall!
It’s a bit confusing because different collectors collect different things. Check out Recyclopedia for something more accessible or check out this infographic.
The links on what’s regulated or not sends me to the Statutes which was a pain to read but TLDR, it’s everything on the left most column.
🚲 Bicycle stuff 🚲
Repair, rehome, reuse
Lorong Chencharu Bike Co-op
Okay you can go repair your stuff at a nearby bike shop but check out Lorong Chencharu Bike Co-op located at Ground Up Initiative’s compound. They do a bunch of things:
Fix abandoned bikes - so if you want to pass them your old bike, they’ll fix it up and donate/sell them to cover the cost.
Help you fix your own bike - if you need a part repaired, bring your bike down and get some help from the volunteers! Pay as you wish for the knowledge shared and tools used, but parts are charged as used.
Sell used bikes - You can get some real great secondhand bikes!
Collect bike parts or tools - if you have these lying around, donate it to them!
Plus if you want to work on a bike, go down to Ground Up Initiative from 10am-1pm on Saturdays. No knowledge required so go learn! :)
Decathlon
They also have bike and other equipment refurbishment services, check out the link here for more info.
💄 Make-up 💄
Dispose
There used to be an initiative by Casket Fairprice that was accepting cosmetic products for embalming purposes (they run a funeral company). But I checked with them this month and was told that the initiative has concluded :(
So you gotta throw your stuff away. It’d be great if more brands think about the end of life / refill-ability of their products!
📦 Resell Furniture 📦
Hock Siong & Co [Trade in furniture for $]
What: A great place that buys and sells secondhand furniture.
Prep needed: Probably some information on what you’re selling.
How & where: If you have something to sell, reach out to them via Whatsapp.
Facebook marketplace / Carousell
These platforms are fantastic treasure troves to sell secondhand furniture. For Facebook, find groups with tags like “Secondhand furniture”, “Used furniture” and do your thing or check out the Facebook Marketplace feature.
For Carousell, check out the Furniture category!
♻ I have trash, like actual trash. ♻
Recyclopedia.SG is probably the best resource out there to figure out how to recycle your things. It also tells you where you can recycle the items more specifically, and what our blue bin accepts. The holy grail guide for disposing things.
Here are some specialized bins you can check out also in case you see them around.
SG Recycle bins
What: No clue who is running this but they use tech to enable people to recycle better - it seems. Pretty conveniently located islandwide. It’s very unclear what they accept but it seems like paper only. This is great because it means paper won’t get contaminated, a big fan of this specialized collection.
Prep needed: Clean paper. And download the app. You don’t have to pay anything so don’t get scammed by scammy messages pretending to be SG Recycle.
How & where: Recyclopedia has great info about this initiative.
Recycle n Save
What: Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) are machines which are able to identify, sort and collect empty plastic drink bottles and aluminium drink cans.
Prep needed: Bring a clean empty container with a readable barcode. Note that because they’re preparing for upcoming beverage container return regulations, you will not get rewards for recycling from Jul 2023 onwards.
How & where: Find your nearest machine here.
Thanks for tuning in! Appreciate all shares, feedback, love and more. Let me know if I missed anything out or also made a wrong comment. I’ve been staring at this document for weeks!
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Happy Lunar New Year and happy spring cleaning!
x
Qiyun
Qiyun, I can’t thank you enough for this post! Finally, all the info in one place. I’m about to go through a major spring cleaning so this is SO helpful, thank you!!