DECLUTTERING WITHOUT LANDFILL – Sustainable(ish)

DECLUTTERING WITHOUT LANDFILL

Many (most?) of us have houses that are full to bursting with 'stuff', much of which we probably can't even remember buying - it just sneaks it's way in and accumulates until there's nothing for it but to grab the black bin bags and start chucking in all the stuff we no longer want or need. Clearing our homes of clutter is cathartic - the 'stuff' takes up space in our minds as well as our homes, and getting rid of it all leaves us feeling lighter and free-er.
But for anyone worried about the planet, and who knows that there is no magical place called "away" when we merrily chuck stuff in the bin, there's a whole other layer of anxiety and guilt that comes with decluttering that can even stop us from decluttering in the first place (that's my excuse anyway).
So how do we declutter without simply passing on our clutter to landfill or incineration (because it all really does have to go somewhere)? To answer that, let's take a look at one of my favourite things (sad but true, I love it), the 'waste hierarchy'...

Once we're at the stage of decluttering I think it's fair to say that we've jumped with some gusto right over the first two rungs of the hierarchy - refuse and reduce and I'll come to that later.

REUSE

So we're straight in with reuse. Is there anything in your 'clutter' that you could repurpose or upcycle into something useful?
Old jeans are brilliant sources of fabric for all kinds of projects, and even things like wellies the kids have grown out of can be used as fun planters for the garden.
Start looking at your clutter with fresh eyes and get creative!

REHOME

There are SO many options for re-homing the stuff you no longer want - here are some of them:

  • Friends and family - pop a post on FB or simply let people know you're having a clear out. If you know people with younger kids, ask if they want any outgrown clothes or toys.
  • Car boot - if you've got lots of stuff, then a car boot might be a good shout. Not only do you get to declutter, you get to bag yourself some cash too.
  • eBay - if you've got branded stuff in good condition, whether that's clothes or toys, then selling them on eBay (or Gumtree, or Preloved) is a great idea.
  • Freecycle or Freegle - I LOVE these sites. If you aren't already a member, have a search and see if there is a group near you (I pretty much guarantee you there will be). You can list the things you no longer want or need, including things like that open bag of dog food your pooch turned it's nose up at, or that tin of paint that turned out to be the wrong colour.
  • Buy Nothing Groups - these started in the USA but have spread all over the world and there are a growing number in the UK. They work a bit like Freecycle and Freegle but are FB based and a great way to keep stuff in use within your local community.
  • Charity shops - they're the obvious choice and the 'go to' for most of us but I've left them until last because there's something of a dilemma here. Charity shops obviously need out donations, that's how they make their money, which is then passed onto good causes. So what's the problem? Well....charity shops are becoming inundated with donations, especially fast fashion clothes. As our rate of consumption of pretty much everything increases, so does the volume of stuff being passed on to charity shops, and we shouldn't be using them as an easy way to salve our consciences as we merrily continue the buy, use, discard cycle we are in. If you're donating stuff to charity shops make sure it's in good, saleable condition - if you wouldn't buy it, no-one else will. And then the charity shop just becomes the middle man between you and the landfill site.
REPAIR

The next stage in our fabulous waste hierarchy is repair.
Is there some stuff in your piles of decluttering that you'd keep if it wasn't broken? If so, have a go at fixing it! You Tube is your friend - have a look and see if you can find a video that will help you. Hubby has fixed our washing machine (several times), toaster and microwave (yes, very scary) using this 'technique'.
If you're not confident having a go yourself, then have a look and see if you have a Repair Cafe near you - there are amazing events where there is a team of volunteer menders on hand for everything from electrical items to clothes, and they'll fix your stuff for free (although please do give a small donation!)

RECYCLE

Take a look through your piles of decluttering and see if there's anything that can be recycled. Check out the Recycle Now website to check up on what can be recycled on your area, both kerbside and at your recycling centre.
Small electrical items can be recycled at most recycling centres, and if you've got things like old mobile phones lots of charities run schemes where they collect them for recycling. 

ROT

The very top of our hierarchy is rot - meaning landfill. Or incineration, depending on your council's policy. Neither are a great option for the planet. Hopefully by working through the steps above, the amount of your stuff that's going to end up here is significantly reduced!

Yes, I will hold my hands up and say that this way of decluttering is harder work - doing the right thing often is!
BUT I think it has the additional benefit of disincentivising the rapid 'recluttering' of our homes - once we realise what a mammoth pain in the butt it is to get rid of all that stuff responsibly, we'll hopefully think twice before merrily heading to the shops to replace it. Which is where REFUSE and REDUCE come in...!

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