Entries Tagged 'Green Organizing' ↓

Today is a great day to think about decluttering as well as reducing our current rates of consumption.  I recently checked out a library book called:  “Material World” by Peter Menzel.  The book is made up of photos from around the world with families standing outside surrounded by their possessions.  Some with very, very little and usually still a smile on their faces. The photo from the US was with a family from Texas; they took up the entire cul-de-sac with their many, many belongings. The title for the US was:  Moral Dilemma.  That’s kinda sad.  We do work hard and we do deserve to have nice things and be comfortable in our homes.  But there is such as thing as overdoing it, crossing the line and too much of a good thing. 

Let’s strive to strike a balance between too much and just enough.  Not only do we usually have what we need, but we have many duplicates of the same items.  This produces two things:  more money spent, more clutter.

So today, on Earth Day,  I would like to suggest a few things to help keep the balance:

• Declutter drawers, closets and shelves of extras, duplicates,  and things you don’t use and pass them on to someone who will.
• The next time you need something, see if you can borrow one before running out and buying one.
• Join Freecycle.com to engage in trades and giveaways instead of using the landfill to part with items.
• See if a substitute will work, like using a shoebox for a storage container instead of buying a plastic container.
• See if you can just make do without sometimes.

May you have what you need, enjoy what you have and have a happy Earth Day!

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The other day I bought myself a new set of flannel sheets, great for our rainy northwest winters!  As I took them out of the zippered, plastic bag so I could wash them, I thought about what I find all the time in client’s homes:  plastic bags and these same zippered bags from sheet and comforter sets.  I think people feel like they are sturdy and that they are going to come up with a use for them.  But they don’t.  And all these bags end up on floors and shoved in closets-empty. 

Follow these tips for decluttering bags from your home:

• Only keep a zippered, plastic bag if you have something to store in it right away.  Don’t just save them up.  They turn into clutter.
• As far as plastic bags from the store go, reuse them as much as possible by turning them into garbage sacks or take them back to the grocery store for recycling.  Most grocery stores have a recycle bin just for plastic sacks.
• Minimize your use of plastic bags from the store.  I have recently purchased some wonderful handled bags from Ikea and keep them in my trunk at all times.  I have a hard time remembering to grab them before I go into stores, but I am starting to get into the habit and soon it will be automatic.  I try to bring the bags into all stores like Target, not just the grocery store.

Part with plastic bags, improve your decluttering skills and help the environment too!

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Sometimes people find it a lot easier to part with belongings when they feel like items are going to a “good home.”  When it comes to letting things go in my own home, I usually don’t have a lot of emotional ties to basic items like clothing, old toys or household items.  But some people do.  Sometimes people will even attach feeling to the items, as in the items have their own feelings. 

No matter where you lie on the issue, you may find it easier to let items go by having them go directly to a person.  Freecycle may be an excellent option to help you part with belongings.  Freecycle is an online site made up of a grassroots movement of people giving and getting stuff for free in their own towns.  The goal is to reuse and keep good stuff out of landfills.

Declutter, give your belongings a “good home,”  make someone’s day when they get a treasure for free and help the environment all at the same time!  All in a good day’s work!

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Here’s a great declutter plan-don’t even bring it home!  Don’t let it in the door!  Run from that “great” sale and don’t look back!

Be very, very choosy about what new items you bring into your home.  Know why you want it, how you are going to use it and where you are going to put it.  If you are replacing an item that is broken or one you don’t like, be sure to part with it when you bring home the new one.

Here are a few ways new items can find a way into our homes:

• You receive gifts.
• You can’t pass up a “good deal.”
• You inherit belongings.
• Garage sales pull you in like a magnet.
• Family or friends store their belongings at your house.
• Family or friends give you things they don’t want anymore.

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with belongings so part with items on a regular basis and if you don’t need or even really want an item some wants to give you:  “Just say no!”

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You can get organized and still be conscientious of your impact on the environment by using bamboo products.

I did a little research, and here are some of the facts I found out about bamboo:

• One bamboo clump can produce 200 poles in the five years it takes one tree to reach maturity.
• Bamboo is a critical element in the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
• Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
• Bamboo grows one third faster than the fastest growing tree.
• Bamboo can be harvested in 3-5 years versus 10-50 for most softwoods and hardwoods.

Check out the bamboo kitchen drawer organizer above as a great option to store your silverware and other kitchen gadgets.  Before you load it up, be sure to:

1. Weed out anything you no longer use.
2. If you have muliples, put them together and then “choose the best, get rid of the rest.”

Green home organization in the kitchen is easy, accessible and affordable!

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The next time you need to give someone a gift, consider giving the gift of charity instead of  material items.  Many times we have people on our lists that really don’t need anything-they already have it all!  Sometimes we don’t really know what they like and we give a gift that they don’t really care that much for.  I can tell you what happens to those gifts-they sit unused but not parted with because the recipient feels guilty.

Check out TisBest, it was started right here in the Pacific Northwest.  You can create customized gift cards to give as a gift and the recipient can then spend the Charity Gift Card by donating to a charity they care about with over 200 nonprofits listed to choose from. 

There are lots of occasions to share this gift:

• Birthdays
• Holidays
• Family & friend’s special events
• Wedding gifts
• Client/Customer appreciation
• Staff or employee appreciation
• Sky’s the limit!

Make a difference for charity, acknowledge someone’s special occasion and have less impact on the planet by reducing consumption!

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I help my clients make decisions about what they are ready to part with and what they would like to keep.  It’s always their decision.  But when it comes to expired medications, I feel the need to be more firm (I used to work in the medical field! :)). 

Please go through your medications and dispose of ALL expired medicine and DO NOT save partially used bottles of antibiotics for the future!  It’s a bad idea to diagnose yourself and possibly use the wrong medication for your symptoms; let your doctor decide if you need antibiotics and the whole prescription should be used at that time, no left-overs.  Using expired medications is also a bad idea.  Throw it away and spring for the few extra bucks to replace the old stuff-your health is worth it!!

So what do you do with the old and unused medications?  Don’t throw them in the garbage or flush them.

According to Medicine Return, The U.S. Geological Survey tested 139 streams throughout the U.S. for the presence of 95 chemicals in 1999-2000 and found:

• 80% of streams contained 1 + of these chemicals
• 50% of streams contained 7 + chemicals
• 34% of streams contained 10 + chemicals

Of these 95 chemicals:

• 33 are known or suspected to be hormonally active
• 46 are pharmaceutically active (have the ability to affect living matter)

So, what to do? 

• Go to Earth911, click on Hazardous, then click on Medications.  Type in your zip code and find out where you can deliver your unused medications. 
• You can also see if your local pharmacy or hospital has a take-it-back program. 
• Another option may be your local hazardous waste drop off location.

Keep your medicine cabinet and the water supply safe by parting with old medications properly.

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Simplehuman has some great looking products that will fit into any modern kitchen.  Even if you don’t have a modern kitchen, these products can give you a touch of modern until you do!

I personally use  this grocery bag holder in my kitchen for all those pesky, plastic bags that come home from the store.  I make sure to re-use them in small bathroom garbage pails or take them back to the store for recycling. 

Before you hang your bag holder, make sure you wipe the area with rubbing alcohol so the adhesive backing will stick well.  Mine has been very durable and hanging in the same spot for years.

This semi-round recycler is also a great tool in the kitchen.  It has two color-coded inner buckets to separate trash from recyclables.

Spiff up the look in the kitchen and help the environment at the same time!

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Often the reason people need help getting organized is because they just plain have too much stuff and it becomes overwhelming.  Stuff in drawers, stuff in closets, stuff in boxes.  We have so much readily available to us, it is usually quite affordable to buy, buy, buy.  We have several TV’s, several computers, clothes with price tags still attached, more toys than our kids know what to do with and the list goes on. 

Grab a snack, get comfy and take 20 minutes to watch this video, The Story of Stuff about how products are made, disposed of and the effects on our environment.

Hopefully it will help curb the urge to bring home more suff!

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