6 Ways To Make Money Off the Things You Normally Throw Away

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It could be clothing, bedding, furniture, appliances or old cell phones. Whatever it is, it often ends up in the trash once you’re done it, flushing your money down the toilet in the process.

According to Environment America Research & Policy Center, the U.S. produces more than 12% of the world’s trash (most of which ends up in landfills) — a fact that is particularly jaw-dropping when considering that only 4% of the world’s population lives here.  

The prevalence of throwing things in the trash isn’t only an environmental problem, it’s a financial one. We should all be focused on alternatives, particularly if they can make us money.

Here are six ways to make money off the things you normally throw away: 

Sell Your Used Cardboard Boxes 

Use a service to profit off of cardboard boxes you may otherwise have trashed. Boxcycle is an online marketplace where you can sell cardboard boxes (even used ones) for cash; the amount you’ll receive depends on the size of the box and ranges from $0.50 to $1.25. 

Sell Your Old Cooking Oil 

Cooking with olive oil or another oil and got some excess in the pan? Save it and sell it through companies like SeQuential (in West Coast metros only), which provides you with a complimentary container to store your used cooking oil and hauls it away to be recycled to be used for fuel.

SeQuential does not disclose how much it pays for used oil, but does note its pick-up and collection services are free and arranged at your convenience. 

Get Gift Cards for Junk Mail 

All of us get stuff in the mail that goes straight into the trash or recycle bin, but you can turn this paper clutter into cash.

The Small Business Knowledge Center will pay you for your junk mail in a number of industries including the credit, insurance, financial, mortgage, lending, travel and telecommunications sectors. You can earn as much as $20 in points every 6 to 10 weeks and will be compensated in gift cards.

Get Cash or Rewards For Scanning Receipts 

Don’t crumple up that receipt and toss it in the trash, use an app such as Ibotta, Checkout 51 or Receipt Hog to scan it and get some money back. ReceiptHog allows you to submit 20 receipts per week and earn rewards that add up to money on gift cards.

Ibotta works similarly, though it gives you money in cash back (the amount is not disclosed on its site). Checkout 51 accepts e-receipts in exchange for cash-back offers on select featured products.

Sell Used Ink Cartridges 

Printers (when they actually work) tend to go through ink pretty fast. Rather than dumping used ink cartridges, get quick cash for recycling them with Evolve Recycling.

They’ll send you all the shipping materials you’ll need, at no cost, and issue you a check once your balance reaches $25. 

Sell Used Electronics 

Did your iPhone die? Or has your old tablet just been lying out collecting dust for years? Sell your used electronics for cash on sites like eBay, VarageSale and Facebook Marketplace.

You may be surprised by how much people are willing to pay for electronics that you no longer use, or that are outdated. 

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