Eco-Organizing

MAKING THE PROFESSIONAL PERSONAL

Mission:

I draw on my compassion, knowledge, and skills transforming overwhelmed lives with fresh ideas, education, and customized plans to create peaceful, sustainable and productive environments.

Vision:

My vision is a more sustainable world created through peaceful, joyful, inspirational, organized spaces for living and work.

History:

I have always tried to be conscious on the impact I was having on the Earth. During my college summers I worked in Acadia National Park in Maine which to this day is one of my favorite places. There I discovered joy in hiking, frolicking in the ocean, swimming in mountain lakes and being in nature in general. I am always amazed that connecting with nature can immediately change my mood.

When I started my professional organizing business, I was trying to find my niche when someone suggested bringing what was very personal to me into my professional life. It was a lightbulb moment for me and truly what gets me out of bed in the morning!

I love professional organizing because it combines both physical and creative work; right and left brain thinking.  Each client is this puzzle that I get to solve to make life better for them!

Approach:

I believe in working with clients no matter where they are.  I do not impose a particular agenda on someone, but rather try and find incentives for why they might want to go green (saving money, making a difference, etc.)  For me, being an eco-organizer goes beyond recycling; it is about incorporating green strategies into not only organizing, but also lifestyle.

Once I leave, it is my hope that clients continue to recycle, use BPA refillable bottles, and think twice about buying something. I do believe every little bit makes a difference and that it is important to meet people where they are and to encourage them to take things to the next level. I also feel very passionately as being a resource for people to find a variety of ways they can incorporate being green into their daily lives.

When I first started my business I adopted a code of ethics from an eco-organizer (see below).  After being in business a few years now, I added my own.

Professionally

• Be a continually developing resource for all things green, not only for clients but also the community at large
• Celebrate people wherever they are on their green journey
• Educate people about eco-organizing and other eco issues through presentations, workshops, social media
• Educate and share my knowledge with other professional organizers
• Form alliances and partnerships with other green businesses & non profits & groups
• Promote green organizing & other green products
• Be active in the green community when possible

Personally

• Practice what I preach, including my 5 R’s: reduce, reuse, repurpose, repair & recycle
• Teach my nieces & nephew about being green
• Continually strive to reduce my carbon footprint
• If I don’t know the answer, I will find it
• Spend time in nature; daily if possible
• Continue my education of all things green
• Volunteer and/or donate to environmental causes

Here are the Green Code of Ethics from Ariane Benefit, Neat Living, that I  adopted when I started my business and continue to use.

http://www.srfboy.com/greensurfers/greenbuilding/greenorganizing.htm

As a Green Organizer, I will promote:

* Using recycled and/or biodegradable products where possible and feasible
* Re-using products rather than buying new products
* Limiting the amount of unwanted items going to landfills by donating, free-cycling, selling and recycling as much as possible
* Purchasing organizing products from companies that adhere to environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices

As an eco-organizer I will personally strive to:

* Limit the nature and volume of the products I consume and discard
* Purchase from Green product and service vendors.
* Teaching Green practices to my children.
* Set up effective and efficient recycling centers in my home.
* Find creative ways to store potentially useful items or give them away for future re-use instead of throwing them away.
* Purchase earth-friendly, second-hand, or locally-produced products where feasible.
* Follow Green disposal practices such as:
o Using recycling centers
o Finding individuals or organizations who need unusual items I need to get rid of
o Safely and legally disposing of toxic items.
* Share my knowledge of green organizing with others.
* Encourage vendors to offer more earth-friendly products.