Deaccessioning.

[hannah]

I always check the floor's recycling vestibule on the off-chance something's in there. I got lucky today, where someone was throwing out what felt like a pharmacy's worth of stuff: hair cream, prescription-strength skin care products, toothpaste, decongestants, deodorant, probiotics, painkillers, muscle relaxants, yards upon yards of Bandaids.

One thing lead to another, and I've finally gone through my medicine cabinet and the stuff under the sink to say goodbye to a few items in plastic bottles that need to be disposed of by professionals, and to finally put a few things to use so I won't have the container in my apartment anymore. It's a commodity with an intended purpose. That purpose ought to be fulfilled, especially when it's something like mouthwash or hand soap.

There's a big bag by the door, waiting for me to take it to the local pharmacy to get the stuff recycled. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon enough.

Comments

[slaymesoftly]

I find myself going through storage areas (under the sink, medicine cabinet, my dressing table, etc) periodically and throwing away tons of stuff that I have no idea why I kept, or things that are well past their ideal use date. Just has to be done from time to time.

[yourlibrarian]

Not sure I'm understanding what you said -- your floor has a recycling pick up spot and people leave stuff there that others might want? Or it's a place for items they are recycling through city recycling pickup?