If “summer cleaning” is at the top of your to-do list, you’ll find all sorts of items you can get rid of to make room and give yourself some peace of mind. But during the fervor of freshening up your home, be sure you continue to be mindful of the environment! When it comes to discarding difficult-to-recycle items, sometimes you have to think outside of the garbage bin. Give your “clutter” a second life and consider these seven alternatives: Take Back Programs Take back programs are company or retailer-sponsored initiatives to collect and “take back” old or used products. Instead of an item being lost in a landfill, the company instead takes responsibility for their product waste. Some of these initiatives are brand-specific (think Apple Renew). Others accept items regardless of brand, like cosmetics brand Origins and the Back to Origins recycling program. Generally, individuals can give back or drop off items at a storefront or retail location, sometimes being rewarded for their return in the process. For example, this past Earth Month, TerraCycle partnered up Target to create a free recycling initiative for old baby and child car seats in the Houston area. Every individual who recycled a car seat was rewarded with a 20% discount on a new one purchased at Target. Waste is diverted from landfills, and customers are rewarded for doing the right thing!