Low- Cost Ways to Help the Planet
My name is Alana Flurry and I am a Professional Organizer. I am a guest blogger on Venniece’s blog and I’m excited to share my knowledge and practical tips for something I personally care about: the planet we live in. This is one area of focus for my business.
The overall purpose of my business is to create spaces and habits for my clients to keep those spaces functioning so they can fulfill on their life purpose.
I’m writing a 3 part blog series on the 3R’s. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
We live on planet earth and have an opportunity to care for it. As each of us takes action in small ways it will add up to big impact. Together we can preserve our planet.
One of the most important parts of keeping the earth healthy is learning about being green. One way to stay green is by learning the 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
Reduce means cutting back on the amount of trash we make.
Reuse means finding a new way to use materials.
Recycle means putting paper, plastic, and metal cans in the recycling bin instead of the trash.
In addition, we can we help the planet and do it in ways that don't cost any money and/or are low cost.Today’s blog is focused on the Reducing aspect of the Three Rs. I will share practical ways you can Reduce.
Reduce
One way you can approach Reducing is to look at organizing and clearing your space from the viewpoint: How can what we have in our garage or in our closet etc.… be reused to help the planet?
An interesting fact: All things originate from a natural resource somehow.
And as one example to share, I saw in a PBS article that “some natural resources like petroleum (what most plastic toys are made of) are limited in supply.” Petroleum, like coal and natural gas, is a non-renewable source of energy. It took millions of years for it to form, and when it is extracted and consumed, there is no way for us to replace it (from National Geographic which has a lot of information on the Three Rs).
Being mindful and taking small actions can make a difference. Reducing creates more space.
As you look at your clearing items from your space some questions you can ask yourself are:
When was the last time I used this?
If it's not being used, can somebody else be using it?
What kind of condition is this in?
What's involved in making that item?
Do I really need this?
Here are some specific actions you can take:
Kitchen Spices
How many spices do you have in your cabinet? Are they still good? Here is a general rule of thumb:
Whole spices will stay fresh for about 4 years,
Ground spices for about 2 to 3 years and
Dried herbs for 1 to 3 years.
If you don’t know how olda spice is, you can test it. To test whether a spice or herb is still potent enough to be effective,rub or crush a small amount in your hand, then taste and smell it — if the aroma is weak and the flavoris not obvious,the herb or spice should be replaced.When buying new spices and choosing the quantity think about how frequently you’ll use it. This will help avoid keeping unused spices for a long period of time.
Food Items
Reviewing food expiration dates is something to lookat - for both refrigerated and pantry foods.I recommend you look at refrigerated and pantry items expiration dates at least once per year. If this overwhelms you then break it down to small action items. For example, you can set a short period of time to look through your refrigerator door food items.
Quick Purge
If you are searching for something that’s not used regularly, that can be an opportunity to do a quick purge of other items you run across that haven’t been used. Whenever I go through an area like that, I intentionally get rid of a couple of things I haven’t used.It’s a habit that only takes a few minutes. You might have some items that you believe you will still use. One idea is to date it with a sticky note, label, or marker. That way you know how long it’s been there the next time you see it. And again… Can somebody else use this? There are so many things you can repurpose in donating them. That's an effective way to reduce that is also of value to others. How can you contribute to somebody else's life?
Take Small Steps
Set some small time increments to work on a certain area in your house. Don't make it overwhelming for yourself. Take 5 or 15 minutes, set a timer to help you stay focused and give you an idea of how long other projects might take.Challenge yourself. How quickly can you fill a trash bag with items to be donated? If you have items you are not sure about, start a “maybe” box, store that away and mark your calendar to look at it later.
Take before and after pictures so you can see the difference you’ve made.
Here is a tip in going through your clothes. Once you’ve done an initial purge turn your hangers backwards then turn them forward once you have worn it. Check in after a few months (seasonally when that applies) look at what has not been worn.
Reducing and Clearing Can Feel Challenging
Sometimes clearing personal items can feel hard to do. If this is the case for you, do not judge yourself. There are reasons people hold on to things. In the work I do with people sometimes we work in this area. Discovering and acknowledging that letting go of things is a challenge in and of itself is a huge step.
Finally, one practical tip is to think before buying new things. Ask yourself do I really need this? Will I use this? These two questions can help avoid having excess items that may not be used in the future.
The practice of Reducing and clearing will have a huge impact on you, your life and help the planet. One person does make a difference! Together we can make a difference. I invite you to look for yourself and Reduce in practical ways.
Taking simple steps that are practical can help our beautiful planet stay green and healthy. Small steps add up!
Alana Flurry
Founder, A-List Organizing
https://www.facebook.com/alistorganize
About Alana Flurry:
Alana is a Professional Organizer here to help you with your organizing needs. Her purpose is creating functional environments that allow people to focus more effectively on their overall life values and purpose.She’s always loved things in order and believes physical spaces can contribute to an overall experience of well-being.