Stacking up belongings and throwing away perfectly usable items does not spark joy.
Decluttering can be a great way to encourage yourself to be more sustainable by encouraging better shopping habits.
Reduce is the first R in the four R’s (reuse, recycle, & rot… sadly not Rihanna). By reducing the clutter in your home, it can be easier to avoid over-consumption. After the holiday gifting season, you may be looking to do some decluttering to start the year fresh and make room for your gifts. However, it’s important to remember that the lifecycles of your belongings don’t end after they leave your house. Here are some helpful tips to make your decluttering process more eco-friendly.
Use what you have
It may be easy to quickly go through and toss everything that you don’t use, but taking the time to find ways to repurpose or use items can decrease the amount of waste you produce. Think of what it took to make that item and to get it in your hands now! It may be temporarily more cluttered to have four bottles of body wash, but eventually they will be used so keeping them is more environmentally valuable in the long term.
Find donation centers in your area
You may be aware of textile donation centers such as Goodwill, but there may be other charity centers near you that can take some of your unused stuff. For example, animal shelters will often take old towels and sheets to make bedding. Even electronics and arts and craft supplies can often be donated for resale and repurpose.
Prevent the clutter from building up again
Decluttering is a great way to give your space a reset and refresh your mind, but you may be tempted to refill that newly emptied space. To tackle the environmental issues derived from consumerism, we need to try to consume less on an individual level. Be mindful of your purchases and you’ll soon be decreasing your carbon footprint and sustaining your decluttered home!
By Sophia Boisvert
The Greenhouse Blog 