As the days grow longer and the sun shines brighter, a familiar feeling creeps up…the need to shake off the dust of winter and breathe new life into our homes – it’s time for spring cleaning!
But amidst the purging of clutter and the scrubbing of surfaces, we can’t ignore the inevitable byproduct: waste. As we sift through our belongings, tossing aside the old and unused, we’re left grappling with the environmental impact of our decluttering efforts.
This can feel overwhelming, especially when the task of cleaning and decluttering feels like a heavily weighted task all on its own. Add the guilt and pressure to do it in an environmentally friendly way?
**Enter freeze mode…
Trust us, we understand this feeling.
But that’s what we’re here to help with. We can navigate this journey together and not only revitalize your home and life but also minimize our footprint on this beautiful planet.
So join us as we share the importance of eco-friendly cleaning and how you can take part.
Understanding The Global Waste Crisis
The global waste crisis is a complex issue with various dimensions, including the generation, management, and disposal of waste.
The statistics that shed light on the magnitude of the waste crisis will make you shudder.
Here’s a look at some of the most recent statistics:
1. Total waste generation
Are you ready for this? The world produces over 2 billion tons of trash per year, and that number is expected to increase to 3.4 billion tons by the year 2050.
Read that again. 3.4 BILLION TONS.
It’s hard to wrap your mind around that amount, isn’t it? And it’s incredibly disheartening.
In our state alone, Californians generated 76.7 million tons of trash, 46 million of which ended up in a landfill.
And that’s the thing! Even if you recycle, some statistics suggest that only about 10% of what you think will be recycled actually is.
2. Plastic Pollution
About 300 million tons of plastic are produced each year, and roughly 8 million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans annually. If current trends continue, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean (by weight) by 2050.
3. Landfill Overflow
Landfills worldwide are nearing capacity, with some already reaching their limits. Improper waste disposal in landfills can lead to soil, air, and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
The waste management challenges are real – many regions, especially low and middle-income countries, struggle with having inadequate waste management infrastructure. This leads to open dumping, uncontrolled burning, and other environmentally harmful practices.
4. The impact runs deep
The consequences of the global waste crisis are exponentially alarming and clearly widespread. It starts with the health impacts due to improper waste management and spans out to the economic impact due to waste collection expenses, disposal, and environmental remediation.
The need for action is clear, and we must make a change.
Let’s talk about the reasons why.
The Importance Of Being Environmentally Conscious
Being environmentally conscious is essential for protecting the planet, safeguarding natural resources, promoting public health, and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
Now we’re not spelling this out as though you’re unaware – we know you’re aware of the amount of consumerism in our world, but it’s easy to forget just how critical this has become.
So let’s highlight some of the important reasons why being environmentally conscious should be at the forefront of our minds:
1. To preserve natural resources.
Many of the Earth’s resources, such as freshwater, forests, and fossil fuels, are finite. By being environmentally conscious, we can reduce resource consumption and ensure that these resources are available for future generations.
2. To mitigate climate change.
Reducing waste production and improving waste management practices are essential strategies for mitigating climate change, and our impact starts with reducing, reusing, and recycling materials to minimize the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators.
3. To protect biodiversity.
Ecosystems around the world are home to a diverse array of plant and animal species. Many human activities – most certainly waste production – threaten biodiversity. Being environmentally conscious involves conserving habitats, reducing pollution, and promoting sustainable practices to protect biodiversity.
4. To improve public health.
Environmental degradation, such as air and water pollution, can have adverse effects on human health. By being environmentally conscious and reducing our waste production and pollution, we can improve air and water quality, reduce the prevalence of diseases, and promote public health and well-being.
5. For sustaining food and water security.
Right in line with improving public health comes the importance of food and water safety. Environmental degradation, climate change, and resource depletion can threaten food and water security. Being environmentally conscious involves adopting sustainable agricultural practices, conserving water resources, and reducing waste to ensure everyone has access to safe and nutritious food and water.
So how can you ensure that you’re practicing eco-friendly means of decluttering and spring cleaning? Where do you even start?
Let’s break it down into some simple tips.
A How-To On Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning
Eco-friendly decluttering involves minimizing your belongings in a way that reduces waste, minimizes environmental impact, and promotes sustainability.
Here are some eco-friendly decluttering tips:
1. Reduce, reuse, recycle
Follow the principles of the waste hierarchy.
Before discarding items, consider if they can be:
- Reduced (do you really need it?)
- Reused (can it serve another purpose?)
- Recycled (is it made of recyclable materials?)
2. Donate or sell
Items that are still in good condition can be donated to local charities, thrift stores, or shelters. You can also sell them through online platforms, garage sales, or consignment shops.
And when this feels like too much, Livable Spaces can assist with re-homing items. (We’ll talk about this some more later).
3. Upcycle and repurpose
Get creative with items you no longer need. Repurpose old clothing into cleaning rags or DIY projects, turn jars into storage containers, or transform furniture with a fresh coat of paint.
4. Choose sustainable storage solutions
When organizing your space, opt for eco-friendly storage solutions such as bamboo baskets, recycled cardboard boxes, or secondhand furniture. Avoid plastic bins and containers whenever possible.
5. Shop mindfully and practice minimalism
Before acquiring new items, think about their environmental impact. Choose products made from sustainable materials, support ethical brands, and opt for quality over quantity to reduce future clutter.
Also, work to embrace a minimalist lifestyle by focusing on experiences and relationships rather than material possessions. Adopting a minimalist mindset can help reduce consumption, prevent future clutter, and diminish waste production.
6. Host swap events for clothing, accessories, and other items
Organize clothing swap events with friends, family, or neighbors to exchange unwanted clothing and other items. This promotes reuse and gives items a second life without contributing to landfill waste.
7. A note on U-Waste: dispose of hazardous waste properly
U-waste (otherwise known as universal waste) consists of items your trash service does not accept. This includes batteries, electronic waste & CRTs (the glass video display component of an electronic device such as a TV or computer monitor), light bulbs, mercury wastes, non-empty aerosol cans, solar panels, paint, propane canisters, chemicals, prescription and OTC medications.
When decluttering hazardous items such as these, research local recycling or disposal options. Many communities offer special collection events or drop-off locations for hazardous waste.
By incorporating these eco-friendly decluttering practices into your routine, you can minimize waste, support sustainability, and create a more organized and environmentally conscious living space.
But sometimes you need some help, and that’s where we come in.
Closing The Gap – Our Commitment To The Global Waste Crisis
At Livable Spaces, we are committed to making a positive environmental (and humanitarian) impact and closing the gap between those who acquire too much, and those in need.
A huge part of these efforts is accomplished by helping combat the global waste crisis by catering to our environmentally-conscious clients.
And our primary goal above all? To keep waste out of landfills and – as a positive side effect – make our clients feel better about the junk they generate (THAT’S A WIN-WIN)!
But we know it’s not always easy to get rid of your things. We understand you may simply not know what to do with your items. After all, it’s one thing to start to go through and categorize them…it’s an entirely new ballgame trying to figure out where they go.
Is it recyclable? Can it be up-cycled or donated?
That’s what we help with. When we remove household items (including U-Waste) from a client’s home, we are intentional about our time finding new homes for the items, or recycling them properly – so you don’t have to.
We do charge an additional fee for this service (for the sorting, cleaning, processing and transporting of items) but it’s well worth it.
Not only does eco-friendly spring cleaning support sustainability, it also enhances your overall well-being.
Let’s talk a bit more about what that looks like.
How Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning Impacts You
At Livable Spaces, we work to transform our clients’ lives by helping them SHiFTⓇ from fragmentation to wholeness.
If you’ve been following along with us for a while, you’re aware of the many ways that SHiFTⓇ works in your life, but if you’re new here, SHiFTⓇ embodies the facets of life that are impacted by the small changes in our lives.
This is how being environmentally conscious can SHiFTⓇ your life.
Social
Coming together for the greater good has a range of social impacts that strengthen communities, empower you as an individual, enhance your overall well-being, and eventually create lasting change.
Health
By clearing out the clutter in your home in a sustainable way, you’re contributing not only to your own health but to the health of the environment. This gives your physical (and mental) health a major boost.
i am deserving
The more you accomplish (even the little things), the more your self-worth increases. Realizing the impact you’re making on the world by practicing eco-friendly decluttering adds to that sense of accomplishment and leaves you feeling like you’re part of something bigger than yourself. This sense of purpose is what makes you feel deserving (and you are so deserving).
Financial
Spring cleaning your home with an environmentally conscious mindset reminds you of how little we really need, and consuming less is of great benefit to you financially, but this aspect also extends so much further outside of yourself.
By mindfully and properly sorting through and donating things where needed, you have a great financial impact on those in need.
Time
Taking the time to do things right, ends up giving you more time back.
At first, the time commitment to sorting through things and thinking about how to repurpose them may seem daunting, but it’s actually an investment into your time bank.
How?
You get more time back in the long run by gaining a thorough understanding of how little you actually need, so you spend less time searching for and buying things you don’t need. Over time, you’ll find yourself spending more time enjoying your life with fewer things (and less mess to clean up).
So let’s do this together – let’s level up your spring cleaning, make lasting change in your life, and support our communities and climate.
Sources:
- Annual waste production stats
- Single-use plastics statistics
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101#what
- Importance of sustainability
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11625-021-00910-5
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