green tips
Please feel free to send me your green organizing tips and I will add. The more knowledge we share with each other, the better off we all are!
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Julie’s 6 R’s of Eco-Organizing
Reduce:
Think before you buy. Think again. Do you really need that item? The less stuff you have, the less you have to organize. Have or give experiences (Trips, tickets, special events, cooking/sewing/craft lessons, etc.) instead of giving things. One client keeps a jar for when she doesn’t buy clothes or shoes. When she accumulates a certain amount she treats herself to a day at the spa!
Reuse:
It’s great if you recycle your boxes from the holidays, but even better if they can be reused: take them to a local moving company; to BJ’s or Sam’s; find out if a business or non profit is moving and give to them.
Donating items that you no longer love, need, or use to those who could truly put those items to good use. Adopt a charity, or even a particular family or consider giving them away on www.Freecycle.org.
Throwplace, “the internet’s landfill alternative”, allows you to donate goods that can be used by non-profits. Your non-profit can also sign up to get goods as well. Registration is free. www.throwplace.com/
Repair:
Try and see if you can repair an item before purchasing another one. If you can’t, giving it away on http://www.freecycle.org/
Repurpose:
Figure out how to repurpose an item. Get creative. Instead of buying a special plastic case for ornaments, I use a wine case with a divider to store them.
Do you have some mismatched dishes hanging around because you haven’t wanted to part with them? Use a pretty cup to hold your cotton balls or lay your make-up brushes on a plate on your vanity. Those plastic containers for curtains also make great storage units. They are clear and you can write with a sharpie on them. I use mine to store holiday lights and electrical cords.
Recycle:
When organizing, remember to recycle. Often times, people are unaware of recycling guidelines, or whether something can be recycled at all. Know your guidelines and local recycling centers. Consider setting up a recycling center in your home or business to make it as easy as possible.
Encourage the legislature to pass laws. There is a program that offers incentives to people who recycle in form of gift cards. www.recyclebank.com/
Rethink
Get into the habit of rethinking of why you buy something, how you use it, if you really need it. Modern conveniences & marketers have convinced us we need stuff we really don’t! Train your brain to rethink how you can begin to be green, become more green and spread your knowledge to others!
A huge thanks to fellow professional organizer Helen Sklov ( http://beorganizedco.com/) for pointing out this last R I kept referring to when she heard my teleclass on Eco-Organizing!
Paper
Stop mail before it enters your home or office. DoNotMail has a form to generate 17 ready-to-mail requests to different direct mail companies. DoNotMail will take the data you enter and create a PDF document with all 17 letters ready to print and send.
http://donotmail.org/form.php?id=50
Contact Opt-Out Prescreen online https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t
or at 1-888-567-8688 (888-5-OPT-OUT).
Email your removal request to Abacus Direct at optout@abacus-us.com
http://www.41pounds.org/ Another option to cut down on mail
catalogchoice.org another option
Have a smart phone? Check out the Paper Karma app!
Great electronic option where you can store health records, education information & create newsletters! Secure site. Save 10% with this code: HEALINGORG http://aboutone.com/
Use Evernote to save your ideas, things you see, and things you like. Then find them all on any computer or device you use. For free. www.evernote.com/
A nifty product to help you stay organized without using paper is a portable whiteboard with different templates that allows you to create lists, etc.
cocoaliving.com/products/slate
Instead of having to keep those bulky manuals, you can locate even hard to find ones here: www.manualsonline.com/
If you are buying paper, remember to look for post-consumer recycled content, which avoids cutting down any new trees, and “closes the recycling loop.”
A recent study estimates that Americans could prevent the logging of over 16 million trees annually if everyone switched from paper bills to Internet banking. Most institutions provide E statements for 401 K and credit cards can provide paperless statements.
Buy recycled filing products. Most stores offer recycled products with non recycle materials. The more demand that is created for recycled products will help bring prices down.
Think before you print!!
Print on both sides.
Filing Systems
All FreedomFiler label kits are currently manufactured in the USA and are printed without using any plastic components. The packaging is streamlined to remove all extraneous printed materials to use as little paper as possible. The company is also green in many ways.
https://freedomfiler.com/AffiliateClickThrough.cfm?cid=9749
Office:
Use the other side of a recycled piece of paper. I keep a box by my desk to recycle. When I need to write down directions or make a note to myself I grab a paper from the box.
Flip a folder and re use.
The most efficient ink is light, serif Garamond
In North Carolina there is a state store for used office supplies:. They sell chairs, desks, as well as other items you can bid on from a pepsi machine to tires. The link is:
http://www.doa.state.nc.us/ssp/
Check your state to see if they have a state surplus store.
If you want to keep articles, check out Scanlog software for $50 at www.scanalog.com
Use a fed ex or sturdy cereal box to store magazines or catalogues. Simply cut the top off and about ¾ down one side. You could wrap with leftover wrapping or butcher block paper.
If you need a computer get a refurbished one. You will save money and resources. Overstock.com and Dell both sell.
Recycle old electronics: www. econewonline.com makes it easy
Whatcha got already? Gather up your partially used shampoos, lotions, etc. and use them or put them in the basket below. Or pack them in a make up bag to use on your next trips so you don’t take the hotel samples. How many meals can you create with the food in your fridge, freezer, and pantry? A cookbook was created based on the contents of what people already have in the pantry!
Create a “use it or lose it” basket. Don’t throw something away you don’t like. Your friends, family and co-workers are excellent guinea pigs and will probably love what you don’t. Or have a party with friends and have a great big party swap! Keep stuff near the door/in the car so you remember to collect and distribute!
Want a great way to feel good about letting a lovely, but incomplete set go that you don’t want to chase down missing parts for? www.Replacements.com will buy dishes and silverware or you can find pieces you are looking for without having to buy a new set!
Need a pair of skis for a weekend trip or an entertainment system for a party? Check out a low-commitment version of EBay: www.zilok.com
Use green cleaning products. Once you have your space organized take it to the next level. Most green cleaners are concentrated and save you money and they don’t have a chemical smell!
123greetings.com allows you to send the same card up to 100 people.
www.treegreetings.com sends an e-card and plants a tree!
birthdayalarm.com/ allows you to set up reminders with your e-cards.
What other creative ideas do you have? Remember to try and make being green fun. Don’t think of it as a chore, but rather a way to be creativity and stretch your imagination while doing good for the planet.