In my quest to simplify, I have read countless books and blogs on decluttering. Overall they have been helpful, but one word kept coming up that made me a bit uncomfortable.

The word was toss.

It’s a word that implies indiscriminate and careless disposal. “Purge ruthlessly!” the authors would say. Have a “keep” pile and a “toss” pile. Just get that stuff out of your house and into a trash bag as quickly as possible!

Once you decide to declutter or downsize, whether you enjoy the process or not, you probably want change to happen quickly. Shedding your stuff can be exciting and even a little addictive.

While the temptation may be to get your stuff out of sight and out of mind, this can lead to tossing your stuff in a less than environmentally responsible way.

Spring clean up is coming up in Lunenburg County, as well as yard sale season – both which might prompt you to take a look at closets, garages, and storage spaces and get rid of stuff you no longer need.

To help you along, I’d like to share a few tips and resources on how to declutter, zero waste style.

Sort by Category

It is much easier to deal with a pile of clutter when you break it down into categories. I also use this system to tidy my house – (kids stuff tends to migrate).

Use cardboard boxes, bags, or totes and sort everything you want to purge into categories. These could be donate, fix, sell, recycle, and landfill. Once you have things sorted this way you can break it down further according to where donations will go and how things will be recycled.

If you have been sorting your waste carefully (I share my system in Zero Waste 101), you already have bins for metal and wood ready for pick up this Spring. You may also have a pile of random junk behind your outbuilding to sort through. #reality

 

Refer to the Lunenburg Regional Community Recycling Centre to find out how to dispose of items not accepted during clean up, such as electronics, tires, and hazardous materials. Learn more about recycling electronics in Nova Scotia.

When you put a little effort into sorting properly, you can better support municipal and provincial recycling programs and the wonderful community organizations committed to serving those in need and divert as much as possible from the landfill. Yay!

Take it Slow

The decluttering process is less taxing when you integrate it into your lifestyle. Keep a donation box handy, add to it regularly, and sort the contents when it is full. Consider including your kids in the process. My girls like to imagine other children enjoying their donated toys and book. We make more space and the kids learn about generosity, gratitude, and earth-friendly habits. Win win win!

I purge my family’s wardrobe at least once a season. A few friends and I circulate our no longer needed clothing and donate whatever is left to the West Dublin Market seasonal clothing swap. Anything damaged or worn out I recycle through the Afterwear Donation Box program – I just put the bag in my trunk and drop it off when I am near a donation bin.

Some people need a little more structure or enjoy a challenge to motivate them on their decluttering journey. Have you ever heard of the Mins game? It is a thirty day challenge – on the first day you get rid of one item. On the second, two items. Three items on the third day and eventually thirty items on the final day. Find a buddy and give it a try.

Decluttering is a process that never really ends, so take the pressure off of yourself to do it all at once and shift your focus to moving through the process mindfully and responsibly.

Think Creatively

Don’t look at all of your unused things as trash. Consider how their life could be extended.

Repurpose or upcycle your stuff. Scrap paper can become a notepad. Twist ties and rubber bands can attach anything to anything! Favourite mugs with broken handles can hold pens on your desk. This Pinterest board offers a few ideas for Zero Waste Upcycling.

Find a few ideas for how to reuse, upcycle, and repurpose in the garden in my Zero Waste post Tips for the Garden.

Make art! My kids have their own bin for tinkering and making art. I add interesting objects I don’t need, like clips, corks, ribbons and recyclables like toilet paper tubes, tea boxes. Add a roll of tape, a low heat glue gun, and a stapler and let them unleash their creativity. Tinkerlab has some great upcycling art projects.

Toss mindfully

Please, for the love of the earth, do not just toss all of your things into a garbage bag and put it on the curb or stuff it into a donation bin. No matter how much the decluttering books spur you on.

It takes time to figure out where things should go, but once you have the information, it gets easier. It can be empowering to learn how to take responsibility for your stuff!

I like to imagine how the things I don’t need could benefit someone else. Is your community church having a toy drive to support local families? Would the library like to have a stack of current magazines? Does the women’s shelter need extra blankets or sheets? Could a community kitchen use your extra baking supplies? Does the animal shelter need old towels? A little thought can go a long way for someone in need.

I also like to consider the volunteers who have to deal with my donations. Take the time to prepare your donations to make their job easier. Use twist ties or tape to wrap up cords; keep puzzle pieces or toys with multiple parts together in a container; do not donate things that are broken or unuseable.

Resources

These are just a few places on the South Shore that accept donations, consignment items, or will give you cash or credit for quality used goods:

The Daisy – accepts used items – books, household, clothing, etc – in good condition.

AfterWear Donation Box – will accept anything fabric in any condition for textile recycling. There are donation bins everywhere!

Salvation Army Thrift Store Bridgewater – call ahead to find out what they are currently accepting.

Your local Church – will often accept donations for rummage sale fundraisers.

S.H.A.I.D. – Their huge annual sale is coming up later this month. Donations can be dropped off until May 22nd.

Lunenburg Community Consignment – learn more about this special place in Jen’s For the Love of Thrifting post.

Burke’s Boutique – consigns Men and Women’s vintage, gently used & locally crafted clothing and accessories.

The Bluebird Boutique – consigns children’s clothing, toys, books, accessories, all things Maternity, decor, bedding, and more.

Kijiji – sell or give away anything from your grandfather’s hat collection to the kitchen sink.

Lunenburg Bound – will pay cash for quality used books.

Efficiency Nova Scotia – will pick up your retired appliances, recycle them properly, and pay you cash.

Shift Your Habits

Yes, mindful decluttering is more time consuming.

But it could make you think twice next time you want to bring something new into your home – do you really need it? How will you dispose of it when you no longer want it or if it breaks? Mindful consumerism is a good habit for the long term.

And it might get you thinking more about where our stuff comes from and where it ends up when we are finished with it. If you want to learn more about the lifecycle of our stuff, check out this great video The Story of Stuff.

Have you caught decluttering fever this Spring? Do you have any tips or resources to share? If so, we would love to hear about them!

Margaret Hoegg is a writer, editor, and sustainability advocate on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. She muses on food, locovorism, homesteading, and family over on her blog dulse and maple and instagram @dulseandmaple.