Metro Vancouver helps you get rid of your junk online

As somebody who’s recently moved to a new home (twice in the past year), a large part of my life has been occupied with getting rid of stuff. Old printers, sweatpants, pots and pans — where should all of this stuff go?

Metro Vancouver has set up a website that helps users find places or services to help dispose of their unwanted items. With a comprehensive list of 1300 locations in the Lower Mainland, residents should feel confident in properly ridding themselves of anything from food packaging, to unwanted clothing, to hazardous materials.

Users select the city that they live in and the distance that they want to travel, and then select the category of items that they want to rid themselves of. A number of locations will appear in both a list and a map. Each location will have a list of items and whether they offer buyback, pickup, or drop-off. There are also addresses, hours of operations, website information, and links to more comprehensive information about the business or organization and the items that they will accept.

From the site, users can send themselves a text message with the information on a location and also find directions.

The site is part of Metro Vancouver’s initiative to reduce waste in the Lower Mainland and is especially important as the amount of tech-waste has been growing exponentially. So as you’re upgrading to your new smartphones and tablets, make sure to find a responsible place to dispose of the old stuff. And if you’ve been holding on to your Zach Morris cell phone, now’s your opportunity to make some space in your home.