Where can I donate, sell, or recycle belongings when downsizing in Colorado Springs?

Start with four destinations: keep, sell, donate, or dispose. Give family first choice, sell the few items with real resale value, donate what's in good shape, and recycle or dispose of the rest the right way. In El Paso County, the free Household Hazardous Waste Facility on Akers Drive takes paint, chemicals, batteries, and electronics from county households, and the county's recycling directory lists where to take almost everything else. Call ahead, because what places accept changes.

Four destinations, in order

Every item in the house ends up in one of four places: it goes with you, it's sold, it's donated, or it's recycled or thrown away. Sorting everything into those four makes each decision smaller.

The order helps too:

1. Family first. Give family members a set time to claim what they want, in writing.
2. Sell the few things worth selling. Everyday furniture and household goods often bring less than owners hope. Focus on items with real resale value.
3. Donate what's in good shape.
4. Recycle or dispose of the rest, including the items that can't go in the trash.

The question that settles most items is simple: is this going with us? Measure the next home first, so you know how much will fit. See how to prepare a longtime family home without becoming overwhelmed.

Selling

• An estate sale can handle a whole household at once. See whether to hold an estate sale.
• Dealers, consignment shops, and auction houses can do better for antiques, art, jewelry, collectibles, quality furniture, and tools. Get more than one opinion on anything valuable, and an independent appraisal for items of significant worth.
• Online marketplaces work for single items. Meet buyers in a public place when you can, and don't let strangers wander the house alone.
• A garage sale is an option for smaller households. In Colorado Springs, the city limits garage sales to two per household per year, two days each, and requires a sales tax license once sales pass $300 in a year.

Donating

El Paso County's recycling directory lists several charities and thrift stores that take household goods, including:

• Habitat for Humanity ReStores (two locations): furniture, building materials, and working appliances.
• Silver Key Friends Thrift Stores, The Salvation Army Thrift Store, and Goodwill: furniture and household goods.
• Partners in Housing and One Nation Walking Together: new or gently used mattresses (Partners in Housing takes queen size or smaller).
• Who Gives a SCRAP Creative Reuse Center: craft and art supplies, fabric, and similar materials.

Before you load the car, call to confirm what each one accepts, whether they pick up, and whether they'll take upholstered furniture or items with wear. Policies change.

Tax deductions. Donations are deductible only if you itemize. Household items and clothing generally must be in good used condition or better. Keep a receipt for each drop-off; donations of $250 or more need a written acknowledgment from the charity, larger noncash donations require IRS Form 8283, and high-value items can require a qualified appraisal. Your CPA can tell you whether it's worth tracking.

Where to take what doesn't sell or donate

These items can't simply go in the trash, and most donation centers won't take them.

The Household Hazardous Waste Facility is at 3255 Akers Drive, (719) 520-7878. It's free for El Paso and Teller County households with proof of residency. As of the county's June 2026 directory, it's open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.; Wednesday mornings only; and on select Saturday mornings. Staff won't enter your vehicle, so you'll unload items onto a cart yourself. Containers must be labeled, sealed, and not leaking, and a load of half a pickup bed or more needs approval first. Check the county's current directory before you go.

Where I've seen this go well

In my experience, the families who do this well give the belongings a plan and a date, not a someday. A sequence that works for many downsizing moves: the next home is found, then packers, then pods or movers for what's going, then a junk removal team for what's left, and then the home is staged around the furniture that stays for photos.

The hardest things to part with usually aren't the valuable ones. They're the sentimental ones. Many families find a second life for them: scanning photos, turning favorite T-shirts into a quilt, or asking family members whether they'd like a particular piece and letting them say no. Deal with the house keepsakes before listing, not during the last week. See the steps to downsizing, from first decision to moving day.

If these are a parent's belongings

The belongings belong to your parent. If your parent is making their own decisions, they decide what's kept, sold, or given away, even if you're the one doing the hauling. If someone holds a power of attorney, that agent acts within the authority the document grants, and after a death the estate's personal representative generally handles the property. When siblings are involved, a written claim deadline before anything is sold or donated prevents a lot of hard feelings.

If you're managing this from out of state, a senior move manager can coordinate sorting, donation, and cleanout on site. See what a senior move manager does.

What's specific to Colorado Springs and El Paso County

• One free drop-off for the hard stuff. The county's Household Hazardous Waste Facility on Akers Drive takes paint, chemicals, batteries, electronics, sharps, and refrigerant appliances from El Paso and Teller County households at no charge.
• Electronics stay out of the landfill. Colorado prohibits disposing of computers and other electronics in landfills.
• Medication take-back. Colorado directs residents to law enforcement locations and DEA-registered pharmacies with take-back kiosks; Take Meds Seriously lists locations.
• City garage sale rules. Two sales per household per year, two days each, and a city sales tax license once sales pass $300 a year.
• Help for older adults and caregivers. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging can connect families with regional services. See what help is available for seniors who are moving or downsizing.

A simple way to plan it

• If you have months, sort room by room using the four destinations, and schedule donation drop-offs as you go.
• If you have weeks, give family a claim deadline, book an estate sale or donation pickup, and schedule a cleanout crew for what's left.
• If there are valuables, get them appraised or evaluated before any sale or donation.
• If there's paint, chemicals, or old electronics in the garage, plan a trip (or two) to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility early; it has limits and weekday hours.
• If you're doing this for a parent, confirm they agree, or who has authority, before anything leaves the house.

What could change the answer

• Your timeline. Less time usually means more cleanout and less selling.
• What the items are worth. A few valuable pieces can change the plan for the whole house.
• What donation centers accept that week. Policies, pickup, and hours change.
• Where you're moving. The size of the next home decides how much goes with you.
• Who decides. A parent's own wishes, a power of attorney, or an estate changes who signs off.

When to talk with a professional

An appraiser can value antiques, art, jewelry, and collections. An estate sale company can tell you whether a sale makes sense. A senior move manager can coordinate sorting, donations, and the move. A CPA can advise on donation deductions. A real estate professional can build the plan for belongings into the listing timeline, so the home is ready for photos and showings.

Sources

• El Paso County, Recycling Directory (updated June 2026): https://epc-assets.elpasoco.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/Recycling-Directory-Updated-June-2026.pdf
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Information on Residential Electronics and Computer Waste: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/hm/information-residential-electronics-and-computer-waste
• City of Colorado Springs, Sales Tax FAQ: https://coloradosprings.gov/finance-sales-tax/page/sales-tax-faq
• Internal Revenue Service, Publication 526, Charitable Contributions: https://www.irs.gov/publications/p526
• Take Meds Seriously (Colorado medication take-back locations): https://www.takemedsseriously.org
• U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day: https://www.takebackday.dea.gov