Decluttering without landfill
Browse main article categories
For day 44 of our carbon fast it’s all about decluttering!
The advice reads “Give away unwanted and unused possessions to a local second hand store or organization. This is a great way to reuse things and stop them from going into a landfill.”
Well here’s a subject that is close to my heart.
I’ve been decluttering since the beginning of the year and I don’t mind admitting it’s been challenging at times.
Not the decluttering per se but the amount of time it takes me to sort things into recycle / donate / toss piles.
You see I’m on a ‘zero waste to landfill’ mission so this means I can’t just fling things into a black plastic bag and thrown them in the bin – I have no bin! Oh how I yearn for a skip on the drive at times, I don’t mind admitting!
My zero waste existence means I’ve had to rehome old cds, film negatives and clothes that are beyond reasonable use WITHOUT flinging them into a hole in the earth.
I’ve used Freecycle, eBay, local charity shops and friends have had early Birthday presents! I’ve become bang up to date with what can and can’t be recycled in our local household recycling centre.
Minimoist covered this very topic in this year’s Earth Day carnival with her post “Earth friendly minimalism” where she covers countless ideas for donating your ‘trash’ for the benefit of others.
But thinking about it and I know I complain a bit from time to time, but really, it’s not that hard. Time consuming, yes, but hard? No.
But I think Mother nature deserves a bit of time and effort from us, don’t you?
What about you – what are your favourite ways for getting rid of things you no longer want?
8 Comments
Featured posts
Five natural ways to cure Seasonal Affective Disorder SAD
In Northern Europe, around 12 million people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Symptoms range from mild such as feeling a little…
Basic natural household cleaning kit
You’ve all been waiting patiently to begin making your own household cleaners. You know some of the nasties you want to avoid…
A natural homemade recipe for cough syrup using thyme, garlic, honey and sage.
Mother Nature bestows so many gifts upon us, providing all we could ever need for a long and healthy life; foods to…
Thanks so much for including my post in this great article. you’re right — our earth deserves our respect and consideration. She’s like our bodies — we only get the one!
I love this idea. I also have started using ebay and freecycle as there is always someone who can use what you no longer need, though am nowhere near Zero Carbon
Well done you!
@Nada: no problem, it was a great article that needed to be shared.
@nazima: Thanks hon, Freecycle is such a brilliant concept. We’ve used it a lot too.
I declutter about once a year and this is the first time I’ve been really good about it and have made a big effort to recycle or pass on everything – avoiding landfill as much as possible.
I’m still very shocked by the amount of unrecyclable plastic crap that finds its way into my home. Let’s hope next year will be better and that I won’t bring the plastic and non-recyclable garbage into my home in the first place.
[…] Little Green Blog – I’ve also been having my annual declutter but this time zero waste style, taking into account Mrs G’s tips and tricks […]
@Joddle: well done Joddle; it does take longer and sometimes it can be a pain in the a*** but it’s worth it. Good luck on your plastic reducing mission for the coming year!
Create a list of necessities:
Replace all media with a handheld computer.
Living room: Couch, chair, 2 floor lamps
Kitchen: One set of pots / dishes / utensils
Bedroom: bed, pillow, 2 sets of sheets, blanket, quilt, floor lamp
Wardrobe: 2 weeks of outfits
Bathroom: 3 sets of towels, one set of cosmetics
Extra tables and bureaus are not really needed.
@di: Hi Di, sounds like you’re a pro at this; thanks for sharing your insight – getting cds onto my ipod is one of my challenges at the moment as I’ve found somewhere that will buy all my old cds 😉