How to throw out papers

Well, at least one kind of papers: newspapers, magazines, brochures, leaflets. But mostly newspapers and magazines. The ones from yesterday and the ones from last week, last month, possibly last year.
- Oh, you don't understand the question? You mean you simply pick them up from wherever you last left them, and throw them into the appropriate rubbish bin / recycling container, whatever, and go about your business without giving it a second thought? Well, bully for you, as Teddy Brewster used to say in Arsenic and Old Lace. Amazing. I'm in awe. You need read no further.
Clara Rimon (L) & Nehama Weinberg (R) as Abby & Martha Brewster; Bob Chadis as Teddy
in The Little English Theater's production of Arsenic & Old Lace, ZOA House, Tel Aviv, 1968
But you guys who are still with me, you know what I'm talking about, don't you?...
Every once in a while, when she had an hour or two to spare, my mom used to sit at her desk with a heap of papers, a pair of scissors, a pile of used envelopes, a collection of pens, and a very serious, concentrated expression on her face. It was sorting time. She'd re-read every bit of paper before sentencing it to Life or Death. Death meant being crumpled and tossed into the wastepaper basket; Life meant she had to decide whom to pass it on to or where to file it. Recipes went into an envelope marked with the name of her cooking-fan friend; articles and photos of dancers went into her Ballet scrapbook; interesting articles went into different envelopes, according to which friend or cousin or second-cousin or third-cousin-once-removed might find them interesting. And she actually put them into envelopes, addressed, stamped and mailed them! Long before email, scanning, and other such wonders. Even before photocopying and faxing were easily available. Xerox machines may have been standard equipment in offices, but certainly not in people's homes, certainly not in Israel.

And now, I find myself tempted to continue in her footsteps. Albeit with the help of modern technology. But the first stumbling block is making the time to read, or at least leaf through, all these papers, weekend supplements, High Holiday supplements, monthlies and various magazines I either subscribed to in a moment of weakness or get in the mail, unsolicited.

At the moment, just for example: in addition to back copies of Haaretz, the Jerusalem Post and Israel Hayom (don't lynch me! I have my reasons!) piled up on the dinette chair and floor, we have
Ikea bin #1
Ikea bin #1Ikea bin #2, the coffee-table, as well as various spots in my study (not shown here, but take my word for it.)
These contain issues of: ESRA magazine, The Good Life (aka Club 50) magazine; Ikea catalogsNational Geographic; The Marker magazine; Rishon Lezion's Cultural Center program for 2015-2016, and more.

It breaks my heart to throw out so much valuable, edifying, fascinating info... I asked my eldest for moral support. Her reply was swift and decisive: Out, out, out!

Okay, okay, I'll throw them out. Except for that excellent review of...
Oh, darn! There I go again.

What? You feel cheated? I gave you no pointers on how to throw out papers? Sorry. I do apologize for letting you down. But if you happen to think of a good tip or two, do send them my way. Thanks!