Many expats in Dubai are very used to being relocated and moving on, and this time of year sees many of us giving up all our scheduled activities to go through all the junk we have gathered over the past couple of years – where did it all come from?

Some people may not be moving internationally, they may just be moving locally to a new villa or apartment due to an increase in rent or to another location nearer their place of work.  But whether we are moving thousands of miles or just around the corner, there is always ‘stuff’ to get rid of.

Technology moves so fast that in just a couple of years you will have probably gathered printers, desk top computers, video players and old phones that are all now defunct. Children grow so fast that half their wardrobe probably doesn’t fit them anymore. Ask children to look through their toys and see if there is anything they don’t play with any longer, and soon there will be a pile of ‘nearly new’ toys at the top of the stairs. Check out the garden and you will soon spot bikes that were never used, metal from an old trampoline that you had every intention of putting up again but haven’t, and old plastic tables bought to go camping, which are now just gathering dust. You probably don’t want to take all this round the corner to your new home and definitely not thousand of miles, but I am sure your conscience would never let you just throw all of it out.

Think about having a garage sale. Get all the family involved, including the children. A Friday morning is a really popular time to hold a garage sale, as all the housemaids love to grab a bargain, but do check first with your community management regarding all the regulations. If you don’t want to hold a garage sale you could also think about taking a stall at the Dubai Flea Market. With what you have left RECYCLE! Here are some ideas on where to recycle your junk in Dubai;

Aid in Motion

AIM is a Volunteer in Dubai Initiative, that collects unwanted items for the less fortunate.

Aid in Motion, in partnership with the Dubai Charity Association and Aramex, aims at collecting unwanted second hand clothing in Dubai and redistributing the collections in less advantaged areas of the city, primarily labour camps in Sonapur although we hope to soon expand our distribution areas.

The way it works is simple.

We have a fabulous group of volunteers known to us as “Area Collection Representatives”, who are dotted around the city and who will arrange to meet you somewhere mutually convenient.  They accept clothes, small household goods, toys, books, cameras, mobile phones etc.

Holy Trinity Church, Oud Metha

The Thrift Center within the church grounds is a service to the economically challenged of Dubai, where you can go in to drop off or buy items for charity. They gladly accept books (in good condition), small household goods, washed and ironed clothes, bedding and curtains.

Take My Junk

They arrive at your home with a pick-up truck and clear away almost anything – bikes, tables, carpets, sun loungers, metal, bits of wood etc. Afterwards they distribute the items to those in need and any items that cannot be re-used are recycled.

Enviroserve

This company collects and dispose of end-of-life electric and electronic equipment in a responsible manner.  Check out their website to see all the items they can recycle and drop-off points.

Foneswap

This on-line company works with various retailers around town where you can deposit your old, unwanted mobile phones and they then properly reuse or recycle the electronic waste. Many phones are worth cash to the client, but if they are not they will still recycle them.

Dubai Municipality

You can deposit your old mobile phones, computers, printers etc. for safe recycling.

House of Prose

House of Prose is a second hand bookshop that buy and sell books, but also offer a 50% buy-back in cash for those books purchased from them. They have two Dubai locations – the Dubai Garden Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road and within Jumeirah Plaza on Jumeirah Beach Road, and offer an extensive range of new and second-hand books, including a large selection of children’s books.

Kit out Kids

A local charity that collects used children’s sport clothes with the goal to provide football kits and PE kits to elementary children in impoverished countries.

Flea 4 Charity

Flea 4 Charity is a Dubai based initiative that was founded on March 2011.  The charity collects second hand items & sells them in the Dubai Flea Market.. Revenues used to be dedicated to various causes in collaboration with the UAE Red Crescent..

Main projects:
– Entertainment events for unprivileged children
– Ramadan Iftar meals for labor workers
– Eid goodie bags for labor workers

Maria Cristina Foundation

Established in 2010, The Maria Cristina is an organisation based in Dubai providing premium secondary education to slum-dwellers’ children.  They are often in need of items such as second hand clothing that is clean and usable – Books -Toys etc.

Finally…Check out this great recycling map from our friends at Goumbook pin pointing the exact location of recycling bins in Dubai.

View Goumbook Green Map – Dubai in a larger map

Junk all gone? – time to call Move One and move!