By now you are used to hearing the word Green applied to almost anything. But did you know you can help save our most precious earth by organizing GREEN? Yes, you actually owe it our planet to get organized this year. (If you are not motivated on your own I can now guilt you into doing it).
OK, all kidding aside green organizing is actually a REAL concept. Green Organizing is an environmentally-friendly approach to organizing that focuses on the principles of reduce, re-use and recycle.
Here are some ways you can start green organizing in your life:
Reduce
Cut down on the amount of energy you are using. Change out your light bulbs, unplug appliances that are not being used (you can even do this at night), look into energy efficient appliances and windows. If we all make a few small changes in our lifestyle we can make a big contribution!
Reuse and Repurpose
Green organizing is all about using what you already have in your home instead of going out to buy MORE. Of course many times when you are unorganized you don’t even know what you have in your home. This is another reason to get organized!
Here are some ideas:
- store your magazines in a basket instead of buying a magazine rack
- store items such as cotton balls, q-tips, writing utensils, and brushes in a cleaned out mason jar
- check out this Pinterest board, full of ideas on how to reuse something when you are organzing
The best part about reusing items you already have is that it is cheap too!
Recycle
The two questions you should ask yourself when you are orgainzing are:
- Do I love this?
- Do I use this?
If the answer is no than it is most likely time to part. Things are not always meant to stay in our lives forever so when we are done using and loving something it is the perfect time to let someone else love it and use it.
Much of the clutter we are parting with can be recycled through donating and consigning. When you start to organize, resist the urge to throw all of your clutter in the trash. Many of the items you no longer need could really benefit someone else.
Remove
Every year over ninety million trees are cut down just to provide junk mail! Go green by removing yourself from mailing lists that send you this junk. You can do this right now by going to www.dmachoice.org. (just another small step you can take).
Rethink
You can make a big impact just be rethinking how you live your life. Rethink your spending habits. Next time you want to make a purchase ask yourself: “Is this something that I will truly use and love for at least one year? Or will this end up being another piece of clutter in my life?”
You can also rethink how you clean. My personal favorite green cleaning solution is vinegar and water. I use that on our hard wood floors, windows, my microwave…pretty much anything. And not only is it green, it is CHEAP. All the better right?
I truly believe that getting organized will change your life. But it gets me even more excited to know that getting organized can change this great Earth for the better. What are you waiting for? Take a look around your house TO-day and see ways that you can start living a greener, more organized life.
More resources to check out:
What are your ideas for organizing green? Please share in the comments!
