How to declutter and organize your home in a way that is good for the environment (3 Essential tips) #98

Ready to Help the Planet?

Are you tired of having too much stuff and want to do something good for the Earth? Let's clean up our homes and make a positive change together!

Make Your Home and the World Better

Let's celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd with some top tips to organize your stuff in a way that's good for the environment. Learn how to tidy up fast and help the planet too!

✅ Less Trash: Find out how to clean up without making more rubbish.

✅ Shop Smart: Learn how to buy things that are good for the planet.

✅ Store Stuff Better: Get clever tricks to use less packaging and keep your things neat.

Thinking About Making a Change?

🌿 "How can I tidy up my home and do something good for the Earth?"

🌿 "What can I do to live a greener life?"

Let's Do It Together

We'll learn how to compost, share food with pets, and use better lights at home. Plus, say goodbye to paper clutter by going digital!

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Come and join us on Facebook! You'll meet others who are also trying to be kind to the planet. Together, we can clean up our homes and make the world a better place.

Are You Ready?

Don't miss out on this chance to help the planet. Listen to my podcast now and start making a difference!

Remember, even small changes can help a lot. Let's work together to make our world cleaner and greener!

Thanks for listening! For more organizational motivation, support and free resources:
Join my podcast Facebook group Living Clutter Free Forever Podcast: KonMari® Inspired Organizing | Facebook
Visit my website www.caroline-thor.com
Come and say 'hi' on Instagram @caro.thor
Follow me on Facebook @carolineorganizer
Join my online membership Clutter Free Collective

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:38

Hello and welcome back to the Living Clutter-Free Forever podcast. I'm so happy that you have chosen to spend your time with me today. Thank you, and I'm excited about today's episode because I think what we're going to talk about could really make a difference not only to your home and your wallet, but also to the environment. Later this week, on the 22nd of April, it is Earth Day, and I am trying really hard this month to talk more about the greener side of organizing, how we can be more environmentally friendly in order to support Earth Day, because I think it's so important that we all become more aware about how our actions are having an impact on our environment. So let's not beat around the bush here, let's get going. I have got 10 top tips for you on how you can declutter and organize in a much more environmentally way. So, point number one before bringing new items into your home, consider whether you truly need them and if they align with your values, and by that by that I mean are they supporting your ideal lifestyle? And those of you who have gone through the KonMari method will know that before you even start, you need to really visualize your ideal lifestyle, and while you're doing that, you're also looking at your values, what's important to you, and therefore it will inform your buying habits. I would highly recommend opting for higher quality, durable items over disposable or single-use products, and I know it sounds counterintuitive to spend more money on something, but if I use the example of a t-shirt I have had in the past, for example, a t-shirt that I bought from a high street store and it has cost me four or five euros and within a year of wearing it or less, it's starting to look misshapen, it's starting to look faded and I'm starting to think, hmm, this doesn't look so good anymore. I can't wear it to clients anymore. It doesn't look good enough or I wouldn't wear it out. So it becomes a t-shirt that I wear just at home. I've got other items that I've spent considerably more money on and they have lasted me for years. So because this cheap t-shirt starts to look awful, you end up going out and replacing it with another cheap t-shirt and then and replacing it with another cheap t-shirt and then, a year later, another cheap t-shirt. And if we had invested more money on a higher quality item in the first place, we would still be wearing that one item. And what happens to these t-shirts that we don't use anymore. If we're not careful, they end up just sitting around in our closet or they end up going into recycling or, worst case scenario, landfill. So please be really thoughtful. I know it's not always the case that if you spend more money on something, it's going to be higher quality and last for longer, but I think we all have enough experience with clothes to know when we feel something, what's the quality? We perhaps have brands that we know do last longer, so really think about that.

Speaker 1: 3:56

Okay, point number two, top tip. Number two declutter responsibly and I'm always banging on about this. This has got nothing to do with Earth Day. I always am going on about this. When you're decluttering, aim to donate, repurpose or recycle items whenever possible instead of sending them to the landfill. Before you even start decluttering, find out locally where your donation centres are, where your recycling programs are, and search around on Pinterest and other online sites for upcycling ideas for different items. I'm always a little bit dubious about upcycling because at the end of the day, the item is still staying in your home and if you're upcycling it into something that actually is also no use to you, then it's a bit of a waste of your time, so really think about it. I'm on a couple of Facebook groups for decluttering and organising and so often I see people posting photos and saying what else can I use this for? I don't need it anymore? Well, if you don't need it anymore, then perhaps it's better off being donated and someone else will use it for the purpose it was intended, or we'll see it and have some amazing idea about how they can upcycle it and use it. It does not have to stay in your home for the sake of being upcycled. So declutter responsibly.

Speaker 1: 5:20

Top tip number three reduce your packaging waste. Try to choose products with minimal packaging or opt for items with eco-friendly packaging materials, and if you're buying in bulk, that can also help reduce packaging waste. But I am always very careful to say to clients be really careful about buying in bulk if you haven't got the space to store the items once they arrive. I have been to clients' homes and behind the bedroom door is stacked full with toilet rolls because they have bought in bulk and they've got nowhere else to store it literally nowhere else to store it because they've bought so much. That doesn't help you keep your environment decluttered and organized if, having bought an item in bulk, you have no place to store it. So be really, really careful of that, because you might end up buying a product in bulk that's going to cause you more problems down the line. When you're buying online, it's really hard to see if the packaging is going to be environmentally friendly or whether it's minimal packaging.

Speaker 1: 6:27

I have to say certainly in Germany, amazon has got better with their packaging. There is less plastic. There are less boxes used. I've actually had some items recently that have arrived in the original packaging and they've just stuck a label on it. They haven't put it in a box, which is absolutely fantastic. So try to be aware of how different companies are packaging things. There's nothing worse than something arrives and the whole box is just full of plastic. You know this plastic stuff that they put in to pad it out, these blown up like pouches, and then what happens? They're going to end up having to go into the bin. So be really careful about that. Okay, top tip number four eco-friendly storage solutions.

Speaker 1: 7:16

Use sustainable storage options where you can, such as bamboo, rattan or recycled materials for containers, baskets and shelving. Try to avoid plastic storage bins whenever possible. And there is a certain organizing program on Netflix and they have books and they're huge on Netflix. And they have books and they're huge. They're making millions. But everything is plastic and it drives me crazy because at some point that item might break. What's going to happen? It's not going to necessarily be recyclable, it's going to end up in the landfill, and it's also not good for us to have our environments full of plastic.

Speaker 1: 8:01

Instead, I try to use things in cupboards such as shoe boxes, or I will use recycled plastic storage, something like a Ferrero Rocher box. I don't know where you live in the world. You have Ferrero Rocher, but they're little chocolates and they come in a plastic box with a plastic lid on it. It's really quite small, but they are amazing for putting in drawers once the chocolates have been eaten. They're amazing for putting in drawers for collecting little bits together, like, especially, office supplies, or in the kitchen for small items, and the lids work well as little trays for holding stuff as well. I have a thing in my village where everyone knows because I've put it on a Facebook group on numerous occasions. Everyone knows I'm the crazy lady who is collecting Ferrero Rocher boxes and they bring them around to my house. I've opened my door on numerous occasions to find a small pile of Ferrero Rocher boxes standing there. I've got no idea who donated them to me, but I then take them with me to clients' homes and we use them in their organizing, and I would much rather do that, one because it's better for the environment and two because my client's not having to pay out money for plastic storage boxes. I've got them for free for them. So really think where you can use eco-friendly storage solutions. The other thing I have in my kitchen is in the past we had bought like a ready-made tiramisu from the supermarket a little bit too often, I have to say, because we were rather into it at that point and we washed out those trays and we use those in our kitchen cupboards and drawers to store things in. I will make a reel about this and put it on Instagram, because you don't need to be spending money on plastic storage when you potentially have things coming into the house already.

Speaker 1: 9:55

Okay. Number five upcycle and repurpose. Now, I've already mentioned this, but you could get creative with repurposing items. You already have to serve different functions or to give them new life. You've got old jars. They can become storage containers. This I do do. Nearly everything of ours at home is stored in jam jars or larger jars that we've had other stuff from the supermarket in is stored in jam jars or larger jars that we've had other stuff from the supermarket in. If you've got worn out clothing, they can be turned into cleaning rags or DIY projects. I have got a few items of clothes that have been left over and my daughters have actually been upcycling them recently and creating new clothes from them, which is absolutely fantastic. I'm glad they've got the creativity to do that. I personally would really struggle with doing something like that, but if you're the sort of person, that's great.

Speaker 1: 10:44

We had someone in my membership the other week who I had asked them to find an item that they perhaps felt they weren't using anymore and to show us a photo of something they perhaps could let go. And it was a very cute little jug for cream, but she knew she was never, ever using it and therefore she was going to take its donation. And someone else in the membership said well, what about putting little flowers in it? That would look really cute, and we know that this person is very into their flowers. They've got a beautiful balcony with flowers on and she took this idea and then reposted the photo with the flowers in. So for the time that she's using that, maybe at some point down the line she'll decide okay, I don't need this as a vase anymore, but at the moment it's a really cute upcycle. So try and look if there's another way of using items. As I said before, don't try to create a solution for the sake of creating an upcycle project if actually the new thing that you create is also no use to you and this thing's still going to be taking up space.

Speaker 1: 11:52

Number six has got nothing to do with decluttering and organizing, but it has to do with being environmentally conscious, and that is to start composting your organic waste. So if you have got a compost bin in your garden, you can put food scraps and organic materials in there to reduce the waste that is sent to the landfill, and it will also create nutrient rich soil for your garden. My mother has had compost bins for as long as I can remember. She's got a row of three at the bottom of her garden. At the moment I have friends who have a wormery in their cellar and they take all their leftover food waste down there and the worms process it and it then gets put into their garden. So that's one possibility. Even if you have got a balcony garden, something like a wormery would be great because it doesn't take up much space and you can then use that in your pots and stuff like that.

Speaker 1: 12:55

We are very fortunate in Germany that we have an organic waste bin as part of our rubbish collection and we can put all our organic material in there and our local council then composts it all so that it's then used amongst our parks and stuff. So we do that at the moment because we haven't got room in our garden for a compost bin. But really look at how you can be more careful with what you do with your scraps. My neighbours know that when they are preparing their vegetables for their meals, they can save the peelings and bring them to me for our rabbits. I'm really happy about it because it saves me a huge amount of money. So if you have neighbours and you know that they have rabbits or guinea pigs, or maybe you've got neighbours with chickens where you can pass over your scraps and they will be eaten, which would be fantastic so look at how you can be using your waste that you produce in a more environmentally friendly way.

Speaker 1: 14:04

Top tip number seven energy efficient lighting. You can create natural lighting by opening up areas of your home. So, for example, lots of people will put a Velux window in if they have got a room that's in the roof space and that will allow natural lighting to come through and mean that you're not needing to put the electric lighting on quite so often. You can move to energy efficient light bulbs, and all of these things are going to reduce your electricity consumption and lower your carbon footprint. So, wherever possible, use energy efficient lighting. Okay, top tip number eight we're nearly there Go digital Now.

Speaker 1: 14:49

Our digital desktops can become a nightmare. I actually sat down yesterday and decluttered mine because I'd been quickly downloading stuff onto it and it got a bit crazy. So I had a five minute decluttering session yesterday and moved stuff into the trash from there. But if you minimize your paper clutter by opting for digital documents and bills wherever possible, it means that you are going to be not using the paper, so we'll be saving trees and you can invest in electronic storage solutions to organise your digital files efficiently. I think most amenities send out their bills digitally these days. I do have a couple where I still get them from paper and it's on my list of things to do, to contact them this year and ask if, instead of a paper bill, I could please now have it digitally. So it means that you're going to minimize paper clutter.

Speaker 1: 15:46

Okay, point number nine donate your unwanted items. So, instead of throwing away usable items, donate them to local charities or shelters or community organizations. This is going to benefit others in need and it's really important, before you start decluttering and organizing, that you know where you can donate. And I said this in point number two be clear before you start, where these places are, and they will be so grateful for your donations, because the money they make from selling your items is very often going to help a charity, which is absolutely fantastic. And finally, point number 10, educate and inspire. And I actually think this is one of the most important points. If you share your journey towards environmentally friendly decluttering and organizing with your friends, with your family, with your community, you are going to inspire others to adopt sustainable practices, and there is so much value in doing that.

Speaker 1: 16:56

Some people don't realize that they can just make the odd tweak here and there and be making a huge difference to the environment. And I think that's especially true with using eco-friendly storage solutions, which was point number four. I think people aren't aware of the fact that they don't have to have brand new storage solutions bought in if they're going to be decluttering and organizing, and if you have less stuff, you're going to need less storage anyway, so it's going to be a win-win situation for everybody. So please remember, every small change you make makes a difference, and it would be amazing if, by decluttering, you are actually helping the environment, not filling landfills, the environment, not filling landfills. So I hope you have found that inspiring. I hope that for Earth Day, on the 22nd of April, you are able to perhaps do one of those things on that day and make a small contribution towards helping our environment. And, having made that one small step, you can perhaps then look at adding another step and then perhaps by the end of the year, you'll be using all 10 of these points and will be really great at green decluttering.

Speaker 1: 18:22

Okay, thank you so much for joining. Please don't forget that I have a Facebook group for this podcast where we can connect. You can go there using the link in the show notes. I would love to see you. It's a fun place and it's growing rapidly. So please come and join, and I'm going to be using the Facebook group to help me create ideas for podcast episodes, because I want to make sure that what I'm talking about is what you want to hear about. So if you have got ideas, come along to the Facebook group and share them with me, and then, who knows, you might get a shout out in one of the episodes. Okay, thank you so much for listening. I appreciate you spending your time with me. Until next time.