Decluttering is often on our to-do list, but easy to ignore. Sorting things out requires time and energy, and our modern lifestyles are busy and time-poor—a problem that only increases during the holiday season. But January can be a great time to get decluttering off your to-do list. With holiday socialising over, it’s often a quiet period. Our advice? Set your January weekends aside to get it done properly—and eco-consciously! Read on for our eco-friendly decluttering tips.
If you’re serious about getting rid of your old stuff, then you should be ready to spend time on it. Which leads to an important question: how best to manage this task without losing motivation and giving up?
You might recognise the following scenario. You’ve spent the day in your bedroom tackling your wardrobe. It’s now organised with a perfect system in place. But then you keep finding more clothes in other rooms around the house! Suddenly, your new wardrobe system doesn’t work anymore. How can you avoid this?
One solution: declutter by category. Tidying expert Marie Kondo earned her fame thanks to this advice. By approaching your task one category at a time, you see the whole picture. You can spot duplicates and similarities in what you own.
Kondo suggests organising items into 5 categories: clothes, books, papers, other items, and then sentimental items when decluttering. But it’s up to you to divide these broad categories into smaller subcategories to make the task easier. For example, when you’re working on the miscellaneous category, you could separate the items further into the following:
We all know how hard it can be to get rid of our things. To help you decide, try Kondo’s now well-known advice to look at each object in turn, and ask whether or not it still sparks joy. But if that doesn’t work and you’re still struggling to let go, there are a few more questions that can help you decide:
The aim of decluttering is to say goodbye to possessions that don’t make you happy anymore, or have reached the end of their usefulness.
Now you’ve sorted out what to keep, the equally important task—of getting rid of them in a planet friendly way—begins.
As you’ve probably guessed, throwing items in the bin is the last thing we’d suggest. We’re here to help keep your rejected items out of landfill or incineration! Passing these unwanted items on to someone who needs or wants them is the most environmentally friendly option. Why don’t you try to repurpose, sell, upcycle, or give them away through dedicated websites or Facebook groups? And if you have broken or damaged items that you still need or want, now is the great time to fix it—or find someone who can!
If those options aren’t possible, find out what is accepted for donation or recycling in your area, and by which organisations. Here are a few ideas:
Letting go of essential and sentimental items can be challenging, especially if they are gifts or memories received from loved ones.
How To Not Waste Time With Sentimental Stuff When You Move was inspired by Marie Kondo's Netflix Show. It's a complete and easy-to-follow guide with tips to repurpose your sentimental belongings into valuable items, understand the value of sentimental clutter, and successfully let it go.
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Once you’ve sorted your home and removed what you no longer need, it’s time to organise your living space effectively. Take your time, look for space organising ideas, and enjoy making your home cosy and filled with the things that make you feel great!
Main image credit - freepik.com
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