Earth Day is coming up and to celebrate this important date we created a series with tips on how to stay eco-friendly while decluttering your home. We will also talk about “how to create a home recycling station”  and “sustainable shopping habits” in the next couple of weeks.

Of course, these tips are not just to be followed during this period, but year round. After all, our planet needs our help and we need our planet.

Decluttering our homes has many benefits in our lives. We can think better in a peaceful environment, we can relax, we can find things easily, etc. If you are doing this process without a Professional Organizer help, I suggest you go from room to room and take notes of things that do not belong there, how do you want this specific room to feel and what is the purpose of the space.

Now, with your list in hand, let’s check in each room how we can declutter things and still do not harm the environment.

Donate / Sell

Get a box and collect all the items you haven’t used, loved or see yourself using again. Sometimes we just keep things because we feel guilty to let it go. I am telling you, it is okay! These items will find a new home where they will be used.

We often hear our clients say that certain items cost too much, and because of the value, it is hard to let them go. Well, if this is your case, you can create a box with these items, set a due date, and take action. Take them to a consignment store, post on Facebook Marketplace or set a date to have a yard sale.

It doesn’t matter if you are donating or selling the items, the secret here is to take action and give these items a second chance in the “greenest way” possible.

Recycle

It seems to me that recycling is getting more and more complicated every day. China is not buying them as much as before. People are “wishcycling” and mixing products that cannot be recycled. Plus, many people don’t want to spend their time taking their recycling to a store or a drop-off location. All that combined results in many recyclable materials ending up in the land-field. 

Some stores like Mom’s Grocery Store accept shoes, batteries, candy bar wraps, bubble plastic, etc. to be recycled. Since many products are not collected by the single stream collection in many areas in the USA, these are great options.  

To learn more about what is recyclable in your area, check your city’s website.

Go Digital

Since we just talked about recycling, I thought you would like this tip too, after all, paper multiply like bunnies!

Did you know that envelopes that have those plastic windows can’t be recycled? Yes, I was surprised when I learned that, too. You will need to remove the plastic, before putting the rest in the recycling bin. There is a free service called catalog choice that allows people to unsubscribe from catalogs. Have you tried it?

Now that you are done, the best way to keep your home green is to be a conscient customer. Don’t buy if you don’t really need it. Look for environmentally friendly items like glass, fabric, etc. If possible, run away from plastic, single-use plastic products, and styrofoam.