Get Organized & Sprout an Eco Friendly Lifestyle
How we utilize what we have can truly make a difference in our pursuit of helping the environment. When you think about your stuff—what you buy, how you use things, why you keep what you keep, etc. it enables you to take an honest look at how you're doing your part to reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose. Here are a few ways that the process of getting organized can actually help you to be more earth friendly:
Knowing what you have. When your space is organized, you know where things are, you can look and know immediately if you need to replenish your supply. In your closet, for example, if you keep all of your white shirts together, you can see exactly what you have, know what condition it is in and decide when it may be time to add to your collection. In any area, knowing what you have will help you to make well informed purchases.
Keeping a mental inventory. Through the process of organizing your home, you must weed out and make decisions about what to keep and what to eliminate. This process of going through each and every item not only helps you get rid of what your not using, it also helps to mentally inventory what you have so you don't over-purchase.
Strive to minimize. With all the attention that's been given to environmental friendliness, there is an endless supply of gadgets and gizmos you can purchase to help reduce your carbon footprint. However, retailers don't often mention that one of the most important elements in being earth friendly is not what you purchase, it's what you avoid purchasing. When making any purchase, be clear about its use and value to you, as well as what effect your purchase may have on the environment. Think of what you can do to reduce your personal consumption.
If you desire to be more organized and want to be environmentally conscientious at the same time, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Your home is not a recycling center. Do you have a perpetual pile for the always elusive yard sale? What about the pile of things you want to eventually sell online? Stop putting it off, set a date, mark it on the calendar and hold the sale or post the items and get the ball rolling. If you don't give yourself a deadline, the items could linger endlessly. Remember, having a yard sale, selling online or donating your items means putting things you no longer use back into circulation, not only helping the environment, but also helping someone who may not be able to purchase that item new.
Beware of being over-earth friendly. Our environmental awareness can create a desire to want to find ways to recycle anything and everything. In the pursuit of finding the eco friendliest way to recycle, items can linger in your home indefinitely, causing clutter and frustration. If your pile of recyclable plastic bags is overtaking the kitchen pantry, set time aside to get them to the store's recycle bin or get rid of them.
Sentimentality vs. Functionality: Is your space filled with sentimental items that you've been guilted into keeping? For example, Grandma’s rocking chair in your basement. Is Grandma being honored by her rocking chair sitting there, or does the fact that it’s taking up space you'd like to use for something else frustrate you every time you walk past? If so, think of ways you can minimize what you have by still keeping fond memories of Grandma alive. Can you take a photo? Save another, smaller item that reminds you of her? Find alternate and creative ways to remember her— wouldn't you want someone to do the same for you?
So if you want to make some headway in your green initiative and do your part in helping our beloved earth to last and flourish for future generations, you may want to start by getting organized today!