When you find something in your house you don’t need anymore, it’s easy to just think of donating, recycling, or throwing it away. But there are a lot more options than that. You may recognize 5 of the ways below as the 5 R's. The other 5 are additions of my own from things I've learned from decluttering and living low-waste. I hope you find them helpful as you get rid of items you no longer need and find ways to reduce the amount of trash you throw away.
You can use this list as a sort of decision map when you find an item you are ready to declutter or an item you find yourself frequently throwing away, start with #1 and then if you can't do that, go to #2, and so on.
Another important thing to keep in mind however, is that if trying to figure out how to declutter something makes you stuck, it's 100% okay to just throw something away or take it to your local thrift store to donate. These two are what I do with most clients. The other options are usually better for the environment, but if you are drowning in clutter, it's better to get items out, than to do it perfectly.
Now, without any further ado, here are...
10 Ways to Get Rid of Your Clutter
1. Refuse
Refuse clutter/waste in the first place. This could mean shopping less, refusing freebies, or not buying a certain grocery item because you can only buy it packaged in plastic.
2. Reduce
Reduce how much you get if you can’t refuse something completely. For me, this means buying some canned beans and some beans in reusable bulk bags. If I refused to buy canned beans completely, I would too often end up not eating any protein at all, because I am a busy college student. But, to reduce the amount of tin cans I have to throw away (I don't have access to recycling), I buy some bulk beans so when I do make time to cook them, I can. They are much more tasty anyway. What items can you begin to buy less?
3. Reuse
Reuse what you already have. Have glass jars you can wash and reuse as food storage? Or maybe newspapers you can use in your scrapbooking or as fire starter? Do whatever you can to reuse the items you already spent money on rather than having to repurpose in the future. However, it is easy to begin holding onto too many things that you will reuse "someday" that you never do. So be honest. If you will reuse it, do, but if you won't, move on to #4.
4. Repurpose
Repurpose what you have, but can no longer use how it is. Some examples of repurposing could be painting your old bedside table into a plant shelf in the living room, or cutting a pair of ripped jeans into a pair of shorts. If you can no longer use something the way it is, try turning it into something new.
5. Sell
Sell what you can no longer use but is worth something to others. As a general rule, I would say if you do not think you can sell something for more than $20, it's probably not worth your time to sell it. If it is worth more than that, then sell it! Donated items often end up in landfill. So, if you can sell it directly to someone who is willing to pay for it, that is a much better option, for both your wallet and the planet.
6. Gift
Gift what you know someone you love will appreciate. Be careful with this one though. Make sure it is actually something they would want and use, not just what you think they should have, or an item you do not want to sell or donate.
7. Donate
Donate whatever you can't sell or gift. However, DO NOT send your trash to the donation center. It's not considerate to give other people your garbage. They will have to throw away for you. If an item is damaged, expired, stained, or simply ugly and antient... go on to #8.
8. Recycle
Recycle what the donation place probably can’t sell or give away. Make sure you clean and sort things properly before recycling. One reason recycling centers have started to shut down in recent years (at least where I live), is that people are making their jobs so hard, they are not making a profit anymore. So make sure you understand what can and cannot be recycled. And if it cannot be recycled, look for other ways to recycle (online programs or other drop locations) or go on to #9.
9. Compost
Compost what will decompose quickly. There are lots of different tips and options for composting. However, I am not a compost expert and actually don't yet compost myself. So do some research of your own and let me know what you find out!
10. Trash
Trash anything else. If you can't donate, recycle, or compost an item, it's time to throw it away. And that's okay. It's better to have a clean house, than a house full of junk you aren't using anyway. Another option is (if you can) burn your paper, cardboard, yard waste instead of sending it to landfill. A bi-yearly bonfire is a fun family tradition you could start.
Comment below an example of something you do in one of the above categories.
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