By Aby Garvey
“Attention shoppers! There’s a two-for-one deal in home organization!”
I have your attention now, don’t I? The shopper in all of us loves a deal, and two-for-ones are almost irresistible. But, what if I told you about an even better two-for-one–a deal that will help you accomplish your organizing goals with the added bonus of helping mother earth in the process? I’d say this deal is too good to pass up, so let’s get started!
Let’s start with a refresher of some common earth-friendly wisdom: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Applying these principles at home, will help you go green and get organized at the same. Here’s how.
1. Reduce consumption of unnecessary stuff. At the start of this article I poked fun at the lure of the sale. I love a sale just as much as the next person…but truth be told, a sale that encourages the purchase of unneeded, unloved and ultimately unused items, perpetuates disorganization and waste.
When you navigate the store on your next shopping expedition, keep these three simple questions at the forefront of your mind:
* Do I need it?
* Will I use it?
* Do I love it?
These questions are particularly important when confronted with a really good sale. Would you love the item as much if it was full price? Would you pay full price for it? If your answer is no: walk away from the bargain. Then, pat yourself on the back for your two-for-one victory. You’ve helped the environment…and moved yourself forward on your quest for a more organized life!
2. Reuse. There are numerous reusable containers on the market today that will help eliminate unnecessary waste heading to landfills or recycle centers. One of my favorite is the reusable water bottle. Instead of buying prepackaged bottled water, fill up a reusable bottle and pop it into your gym bag, soccer bag or even the kids’ lunch bags.
And speaking of bags, invest in a few reusable shopping bags, too. If you tend to over collect shopping bags, an investment of a few dollars for reusable bags will free you from a source of clutter in your home (plus, score one for mother earth!)
3. Repurpose. As you may know by now, I’m a huge fun of repurposing everyday items when organizing. And this, my friends, is another green organizing two-for-one. By reusing items you already have on hand to create more order in your home, you prevent sending items to the landfill. Plus, you’ll create a space that isn’t just orderly, but one that’s filled with charm and creativity, for a fraction of the cost of purchasing brand new organizing containers. Here are some ideas for repurposing everyday containers:
* Use ramekins or small, recycled glass jars to stow office supplies like paper clips, staples, binder clips, rubber bands and the like.
* Use ice cube trays or tackle boxes to organize beads or other small craft items.
* Use shoe boxes to create free (yet effective!) drawer dividers.
Take a look around your home for empty vessels you could use for your next organizing projects. You just might be surprised at what you find!
4. Recycle. For items you no longer need, make it simple to recycle them. Set up a recycle center for metal, plastic, glass and paper. And while you’re at it, add a separate container for household items and clothes you no longer use, need or love. When you make it simple to pass along or recycle your old stuff, it will be a notch easier to keep items moving out of your home. You’ll help the environment by passing your items along to charitable groups and organizations that will put them to good use, plus you’ll keep the clutter of unused items out of your environment.
5. Invest in quality. When you invest in quality you’re reducing consumption. The longer something lasts…the longer it will stay out of the landfill. It’s that simple.
Let’s use a toaster to demonstrate this point. Growing up, my family had the same toaster for my entire childhood…well at least until they came out with those newfangled toaster ovens, at which time the good old fashioned four-slotter got kicked to the curb. Nonetheless, let’s contrast the toasters of my youth with the toasters of today.
Today, you can buy a toaster for as little as $12.99 (not on sale!) and expect it to last for maybe a year (if you’re lucky.) And while admittedly I don’t have any concrete data to validate the one year life expectancy of a $12.99 toaster, I can tell you this: it won’t last as long as the toaster from my childhood. (Nor will it last as long as the toaster that was built to last…and has the price tag to prove it.)
No matter what you pay for a toaster…tossing it to the curb won’t feel good on the day its time has come. This is one of the reasons broken things like toasters and computers often go to basements and garages and storage sheds to age, instead of heading straight to the curb on garbage day. In short, when things like toasters die an untimely death…it feels wasteful. Quite simply, it is. Invest in quality…whenever you can. Mother earth thanks you.
Going green is fun, hip and fashionable…and now, it can help you achieve your organizing goals, too! I hope you enjoy creating some two-for-ones in your home.
Aby Garvey is a professional organizer and the founder of simplify 101, inc. Her mission is to help you create time and space for what matters most in your home and life. Aby is the author of the e-book “the happy scrapper – simple solutions to get organized and get scrapping!” Visit the simplify 101 website for organizing ideas and to subscribe to Aby’s organizing email newsletter.