Earth Day Countdown: Spring Cleaning and De-Cluttering the 'Green' Way

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- As we count down to Earth Day, we're tackling spring cleaning.

Right now, if you're home and find yourself with extra time on your hands, we enlisted a local organizing expert to help us de-clutter the "green" way.

When it comes to recycling, there are only a few things we can put curbside.

What do we do with the rest?

Rose Miller is a personal organizer. She calls her business Rose Knows Where it Goes.

And when it comes to editing and clearing clutter, she knows what to do with hard to recycle items, like paint.

She recommends donating your extra paint to local charities like Habitat for Humanity, which builds homes for those in need.

If there's only a little bit of paint left, she says mix the paint with equal parts kitty litter before throwing it away with the regular trash.

How about light bulbs?

"Check with places like IKEA and Home Depot," Miller says. "Try the places where you purchased the items and see if they recycle there as well. Same goes for batteries."

For technology that still works, like phones or cameras, consider donating to programs at your local schools.

Some items, Miller says, are nearly impossible to recycle like older TVs.

"They are about 90 cents a pound to recycle properly," Miller says, but often Salvation Army and Goodwill will take them.

For old clothes, sheets and towels, they are not recyclable and don't decompose quickly in our landfills.

Miller says this is where donation is key.

She recommends Give Back Box. You pack your things in an old shipping box and they provide a free label.

For stuffed animals, donate them to your local animal shelters to keep pets company.

Both Crayola AND the National Crayon Recycle Program take old coloring supplies and recycle and donate them.

Also, save this date: April 25th.

That's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Click here for ways to safely dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs.