By Sandra Johnson
Hello July! One thing I see a lot as a professional organizer is our everyday amount of waste. You may have all the best intentions of reusing things and recycling it responsibly, but this takes time and effort. The world around us is very fast and our priorities can change at any moment. All of that can cause your “good Intention” items to pile up and not get taken care of.
I’m going to show you some items that can be easily taken out of your home while you’re out running errands.
Plastic Bags
We all know the feeling when we’re checking out at the grocery store, and realize that we forgot our own bags. Yes, grabbing paper bags instead is a great idea, because they can be easily recycled. Not all stores have paper and those plastic bags end up going home. I keep my plastic bags in a designated area at home. Once I have a good amount I can simply grab them and drop them off at a plastic bag recycling bin. Did you know most grocery stores have a plastic bag recycling bin? To help remember those reusable bags, here are some tips:
- Keep reusable bags in your car. After putting all groceries away, add another step to run bags back to the car.
- Place in eyesight to the door you’re coming in and out from. Have a designated hook that they live on.
- Do you park in the garage? Have a hook or shelf that you keep them easily accessible on.
Don’t let an abundance of plastic bags take up precious space in your home!
Batteries
I’ve seen the battle of saving all the used batteries because you want to responsibly recycle them. Well having 4 kids and a lot of electronics with batteries got me in the bad habit of just chucking them! I wasn’t finding time to recycle them properly, and I see clients that also struggle with this. It does take time and effort especially when you have to take them to a place that you don’t regularly go. I found that my local Home Depot has a bin in the front of the store to drop them in. I can now easily add this into my everyday errands. I don’t need to go to The Home Depot much, but when I do I can remember to grab my used batteries. Which also brings me to…
Light Bulbs
Did you know that The Home Depot also has a bin for recycling light bulbs? Another one of those things that sit around with the best intentions, but doesn’t get done. NO MORE! Grab a bin, and label it “Used Light Bulbs”. Heck, if you don’t have a bin grab a box and a sharpie, this does not have to be pinterest worthy. Once the box is full or when you are planning a run simply grab them and dump them into the recycling bin. Bring the container back home and repeat. The more you make the effort the more it will become routine.
Small Electronics & Ink
Have you decluttered and found an old cell phone or MP3 player? What was your first thought about? Mine is always “I don’t know what information could be on it” & “I can’t just throw it in the landfill”. There is a responsible way to dispose of all electronics. When they are recycled properly they do not care what is on it. You should always remove SIM cards and factory reset on cell phones when possible. All data from electronics is either destroyed physically or in some cases electronically wiped. They are going to tear it apart and repurpose / recycle what they can. I found that my local Target has a bin to drop off not only cell phones and MP3s but used ink cartridges as well. I can easily add this into my routine as I go to Target frequently. As you find these things in the home, find a box or bin and label it “Things To Go”.
All cities have ways of recycling, some will offer more amenities for free than others. It’s always a good idea to research your local recycling offerings, and take advantage of any for free. A lot of towns will have events where you can bring certain items to be recycled. Hazardous waste is a category we see in a lot of homes. There are responsible ways of getting rid of these items and your city should have a place you can take them.
Have you heard of a company called Ridwell? They give you cloth bags to store your hard-to-recycle items. Then you put them in a designated box outside your home for pick up. They are not in every neighborhood, but it is definitely worth checking in to. Especially if you are an avid responsible recycler.
As a professional organizer I share all of this knowledge with my clients. Many times I take those items for them to be recycled responsibly. This gives them peace of mind that it’s going to the proper place, and not the landfill. That also leaves them with less clutter so they can move on to living a more organized lifestyle. If you live a busy life then it may be worth it to have a professional organizer come in monthly, and help you with all those time consuming tasks.
Don’t let these things take space in your home. Have a plan for them to leave and execute that plan.
