Toss your technology
What to do with that 2006 Mac, Flintstones-size cell phone, and VHS player? You could open a technology museum—but that’s been done, and besides, it’s time to catch a glimpse of your office desk again. Your best bet is to contact GreenCitizen, which, unlike some techno-recycling companies, follows the “deman­ufacturing” process to provide 100 percent accountability. Drop off all gizmos and gadgets that have any recyclable heavy metals, like copper, mercury, and lead, as well as reusable glass and plastic, at its San Francisco, Burlingame, or Silicon Valley locations. All toxins are welcome, too. 877-918-8900, greencitizen.com

Ethical renovations
Are those old wood floors still sitting in your basement from your kitchen reno, back when you still had disposable income? At no charge, Building REsources will be happy to pick them up, along with any other nonhazardous construction and landscaping leftovers—windows, stone, bricks, bathtubs—as long as they’re in good condition. Instead of sending them to a landfill, the organization will resell them to environmentally minded remodelers. 701 Amador St., S.F., 415-285-7814, buildingresources.org

The sociable swap
If you’re going to give stuff away, at least make a party of it—and get something in return.

For closet clutter, there’s always Salvation Army and Goodwill. But do they serve margaritas and play Fergie? That’s what Suzanne Agasi does at her monthly Clothing Swap. Shell out $20 to $50 (the price varies with the Bay Area venue—often it’s a swanky nightclub) and hand over your new or gently used clothes, shoes, and/or accessories, then search for finds to replace them. A lucky night could score you a Fendi bag, a Laundry cocktail dress, or Coach flats. Depending on the event, you might also get a complimentary updo, brow shaping, or tarot card reading. For the smaller set, Agasi recently launched KiddoSwap (keep your kids; trade outgrown clothes and toys). Best of all: At the end of both events, she donates the leftover items to charities, like Casa de las Madres and the St. Anthony Foundation. clothingswaps.com

On the last Saturday afternoon of each month, Dolores Park is home to the really cool Really, Really Free Market. Absolutely nothing is for sale, or even bartered, here: Instead, you bring anything you like—drapes, cookware, plants, clothing—and take anything you like. The result is a giant, raucous block party that you might leave with a new friend, or at least without your old Milli Vanilli vinyl. Oakland hosts its own free-trade monthly party, the East Bay Hella Free Day! on the first Sunday of the month, at Grand and Lakeshore Avenues. reallyreallyfree.org

There may not be a support group for folks like you—People Who Love Books Too Much—but there’s a happy place where you can donate your three extra copies of The Catcher in the Rye: the Bay Area Free Book Exchange, which just opened for business on Saturdays and Sundays in El Cerrito. You’re welcome to leave with up to 50 books, even if you don’t donate anything—and if you time it right, you can mingle with other bibliophiles at one of the Exchange’s upcoming parties, readings, and signings. 10520 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito, 510-526-1941, bayareafreebookexchange.com

Crafty castoffs
You thought you’d take up knitting, but after a month, you tossed away your needles in frustration. Relieve your guilt by unloading them—and anything else artsy or craftsy, such as feathers, crayons, buttons, wallpaper, ribbons, foam core, brushes, and beads—at the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse. In San Francisco, SCRAP (Scroungers’ Center for Reusable Art Parts) is a ginormous warehouse of oddly appealing and useful bounty—mostly from businesses—that Bay Area artists, schoolteachers, and do-it-yourselfers cherish. East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse: 4695 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 510-547-6470, creativereuse.org; SCRAP: 801 Toland St., S.F., 415-647-1746, scrap-sf.org

For everything else
Still don’t know what to do with that whatcha­ma­callit and that whosawhatchit? The San Francisco Department of the Environment’s new online tool, the SF Environment EcoFindeRRR, will match specific items with the closest and most appropriate organization. And yes—someone still makes house calls! Schedule an appointment with Sunset Scavenger, and the organization will come pick up any household hazardous waste. EcoFinderRR: 415-355-3700, sfenvironment.org; Sunset Scavenger: 415-330-1300, sfrecycling.com