Decluttering & Upcycling
Are you surrounded by a mountain of junk? Does the spring weather have you wanting to tidy up and open your windows, but you can’t even reach the windows because of all the STUFF you acquired throughout the year, particularly over the holidays? Don’t push it into a pile and light a match just yet! This Waste Not Wednesday, we’ve got a strategy to help you declutter without just throwing it all away. Instead of, “out with the old, in with the new,” we’re saying, “repurpose the old, and make room for the new!”
If you are trying to simply reduce the number of things in your house, avoid tossing your unwanted items and first see if there is a friend who might like them, or a local consignment or thrift store that would take them instead. You can also check out your local buy-nothing group on Facebook and see who is interested, or re-gift items that are new or unused.
After you’ve given away or sold items in good condition, it may be time to toss some things. If possible though, repurposing or “upcycling” items, parts of items, or scraps of material can not only reduce trash, but it can save money and reduce the carbon footprint left by shopping or shipping. It can also be a great way to express your creativity! If you like to sew, fabric scraps could become pillow shams, or if you enjoy decorating, old jars can be a stylish way to store things or house a string of lights. You can also use scraps for art or crafting.
Finally, if you have empty product containers, see if the seller has a collection program for used packaging, or better yet, a refill option. Of course, Sankoty Sustainables has refill options for our toilet fizzies, sugar scrubs, shower steamers, and lotions, as well as refills on many of our manufactured products and a discount for returning jars. As people recognize our global need to reduce waste, consumers are pushing for alternatives to single-use packaging wherever possible, and more and more companies are obliging.
Decluttering doesn’t have to be stressful or wasteful. Instead, let it be a chance for giving, creating, and repurposing, and once you’ve simplified, you can open that window and breathe a sigh of relief!