Get Organized and Go Green

by Molly Gold from MyGoMom!

Spring is a great time to connect the dots to get organized and go green. However the process of getting organized generates stuff, as in items to donate and items to trash. Knowing what to do with those items can leave busy moms feeling defeated before they get out of the cardboard box. Here are five steps to help you make organized changes that will lead your family toward a greener life:

1. Know your Options:  Take some time to learn about your town’s recycling policies and identify the locations available for drop off.  You might be surprised to learn how extensive it may be, including an active calendar boasting shredding events and opportunities to recycle electronics. Update your calendar with events each season helping you plan key organizing and recycling projects when you’ll have the services you need to finish each job.

2. Allocate Space:  Whether its daily recycling or products that are identified as needing to be donated or disposed of, you need a dedicated space to store them while in process. For daily recycling, consider modifying a kitchen cabinet to make disposal a snap as you are using products.  Another option is creating a recycling center in your trash center outside.  For both solutions, label bins with pictures or words, depending on your children’s ages, and help everyone learn where each item goes.  For project recycling, bins labeled DONATE and TRASH make sorting a snap.

3. Re-Imagine:  Don’t throw what you own then run to the store to buy something new.  People change and as we do, the way we use the items in our homes can change too.  If you find you no longer use an item in a particular way, take a second look to see if it can meet your organized needs in another way.  If you find you truly have no use for it then by all means, move it along!

4. Disconnect:  One of easiest ways to save energy is to disconnect any electronic items in your home when not in use.  While it takes awhile to get used to not just turning off the lights but unplugging cords too, the effort will make you reconsider everything you have.  If you rarely plug it in, do you need to keep it in full sight?  If you don’t keep it in full sight, do you need to keep it at all?  These kinds of questions will help you continue to refine and simplify your possessions and how you use them.

5. Entertain Repeatedly:  No matter what the holiday, choose decor and accessories with repeat appearances in mind.  From birthday gift wrap and bags to Easter eggs, Halloween candles and Christmas lights, there are endless options for reusable seasonal decor that will not only save you money but be gentle on our planet.  Pick a theme you can build on and items that are durable.

I hope these tips help you consider how to get organized and go green.  And tell me ~ what steps are you taking to refine your home and simplify your world?