Less Is More
Spring is in the air this week, and, suddenly, all this stuff in the house has GOT to go, and that which is staying has GOT to be cleaned! All the stores know this too, and they are working overtime to sell you cleaning supplies, organizing trays, calendars, books, etc. Some of these items you may need of course (all the soap, for example), but some you probably don’t (why are there so many styles of dusters??).
It seems counterintuitive for us to say this as a business, but we truly believe that less is more. We make our items to be reused or else used completely with no waste leftover. We exist as a business because those items that we still needed to buy periodically were hard to find in a sustainable version, and we wanted to offer others better options. When it comes to all the gimmicky cleaning and organizing products though…we’re here to tell you that you don’t need them!
For cleaning supplies, use what you have! If you are solely reliant on single-use items, instead of buying that next roll of paper towels, try our non-paper towels instead (they dust, clean, dry—they do it all!). If you already have non-paper towels that you love though, you can stick with those and focus on making a sustainable change in a different area, like disposable dusters, dish or laundry soap, or personal care items. We offer low-waste/reusable options of all those items, many handmade. We even teach others to make many of our items, but for those who may not have the resources, time, or practice to make their own versions, we’re here to help out.
As for organizing, the secret is to declutter first. While it’s good to hold onto things you can reuse, if you are drowning in too much stuff, you won’t be able to find anything when the moment comes to reuse it anyway! Decluttering doesn’t have to mean the dumpster though. It could mean finding new homes for items by gifting used items to friends, donating to charities, or exchanging items in a local buy-nothing group. You can even find local groups to upcycle old fabrics, electronics, bicycles, etc. After decluttering, you could even to repurpose some old baskets or tins to contain what’s left.
Sustainability is not a sprint, and reducing waste might not happen overnight. Over time though, every little decision to use less, make less waste, and keep track of less junk will add up to more change, and if you need help along the journey, Sankoty Sustainables will be there!