Decluttering in an Eco Conscious Way
Join us on our Journey to an Organized Kitchen! In this segment, Professional Organizer Pam and Chef Nakia talk about organizing, decluttering, recycling and how it all goes hand in hand. Remember that baby steps are so important and each small step we can make will add up to a happier planet!
The practice of Decluttering and Recycling
Allow your ‘trash’ to become someone else’s treasure!
For your existing recyclable items
Empty jars of Pickle and Olives can be used for:
Propagating plants
Little vases
Arts and crafts
Once you’ve collected all the jars you’ll use at home, dispose of extra jars:
To second hand stores
Sent to the recycling center with the jar and lid separated
In determining what to keep and what to pass along, remember that it will change moment to moment, day to day, and season to season.
*Bonus Declutter Tip: Anytime you have to move an item in order to access the items behind it ask yourself:
“Is there a different spot that would be better for this item?”
“Is this item still bringing me joy?”
“Would I like to recycle this item instead?”
When Bringing New Items Into Your Home
We can reduce our environmental impact from the start by:
Resist using single use plastic bags - use reusable produce bags or no bag for produce items
Skip purchasing pre-packaged and overly packaged items for the minimally packed ingredients.
For example, a salad kit could have up to 6 different plastic bags within one item. If you buy ingredients separately, you could have veggies with no packaging, croutons in a paper bag, cheese with plastic wrap, and dressing in a reusable, glass bottle.
Learn to be happy with open space in between items in your pantry or fridge so you don’t feel the urge to buy new items and consumer more just to fill the space.
City Recycling Program Tips
Keep a list of what is and is not accepted by your municipality’s recycling center on your fridge or next to your recycling bin.
Keep a bin, bag, or designated area in your kitchen to keep recyclable items before transferring to your main recycling bin in the garage.
If you need to separate recyclable items in your municipality, consider using a three - bag or four - bag hamper to sort your recyclable items right away.
