This week is National Recycling Week. Make a conscious decision to free your self and home from clutter while benefiting others and the environment. Clear your house for Fall, for the Holidays or just because!
Recycling goes way beyond the bags you put out with the trash every week. It means re-using or re-distributing stuff, and almost everything is recyclable or reusable. Recycling is the right thing to do. It cuts consumption of energy and resources, saves money, keeps stuff out of landfills and toxins out of the water supply. Looking at 5 common clutter challenges, here is how to make Recycling the easy thing to do, too:
Clothes and Donations: I bet you have bags of donation clothes in the closet, by the door, in the laundry room or in your trunk. Cast-off clothes and donations are easy clutter elimination and the ultimate recycling. You may have designated stuff to donate or give to others, but it is still cluttering up your home. Load up your trunk and drop off those bags of clothes / shoes / books / whatever. Then come home, take a breath, appreciate the clearer space, then get back to work!
Returns are also a form of recycling since returning items you won’t use keeps stuff in circulation instead of letting it stagnate in your trunk or closet. Take returns back to their stores, put some money back in your pocket, and revel in the clear space.
Plastic and Paper Shopping Bags: Got bags? Under the kitchen sink, in the laundry room, on a hook by the door? Working with a client recently in a small storage space we ended with 6 bags of plastic grocery bags to be recycled. As an organizer, a problem I have with bags in general is that you can’t stack them or see inside, which make them a terrible way to store stuff.
Keep a dozen plastic bags, and maybe 2 dozen if you happen to have a pet and need the bags for dog walks, etc. Take the rest back to your local grocery store for recycling. Re-use plastic bags as packing material or to re-line your messy garbage cans. They’re also great for organizing projects – write “trash”, “recycle” and “donate” on 3 with a Sharpie, stand them up, and have the kids fill all three on cleaning day. When they’re full, take action on the stuff in the bags, then fold them up and keep them for the next project!
Get used to carrying your own shopping bags. I always carry one small one in my handbag for most of my shopping stops, and for bigger trips, I keep my reusable bags where I need them, bundled in the car.
Boxes and Cardboard: Take a peek in your garage, attic, basement or hall closet. Recycle those empty cardboard boxes and open up some storage space!
Last week, I cleaned out our basement Holiday closet where we store Halloween and Easter decorations; Halloween costumes; gift wrap and extra shipping boxes; and purchased gifts. It was looking neglected, to say the least! So I put away the Halloween decorations and costumes, purged a dozen extra cardboard boxes, and broke down the keepers to store them flat instead of assembled. There’s lots of space now!
Electronics: Many towns have E-waste recycling available now, for old computers, TVs, DVD players, etc. Check with your municipality to see what’s available near you.
Junk Drawer Contents: As your professional organizer, I will let you have a junk drawer. JUST one. So, let me guess what is in your junk drawer… Dead batteries, old eyeglasses, dried up pens, broken crayons, pennies, random photos, household tools and repair items, expired coupons and take-out menus, twist ties and rubber bands, empty toner cartridges, scotch tape, old cell phones, pop tabs. Sound familiar?
Dedicate a use for each drawer, like office supplies or couponing or tools and hardware or kid’s crafts, so it is less likely to become a junk drawer. Label it to make it easier to remember and maintain. Almost every item I listed above can be Recycled or re-used. Old batteries to Home Depot or Walgreens. Eyeglasses to your local Lion’s Club. See your old apple phone back to Apple for recycling and credit towards your next purchase. Sorting a junk drawer with your kids can be a great teachable moment. Show them how to sort stuff, toss the trash, and organize what is left.
Use National Recycling Week to help your home by clearing clutter, and help the planet by doing it responsibly!
(c) Copyright 2011 M. Colleen Klimcak, CPO