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A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE
From an environmentalist’s point of view, my family (a husband, three
children and a cat) receive high marks for living in a relatively small
apartment in New York City. According to an article on TreeHugger,
“New Yorkers have the smallest carbon footprint in the nation—7.1 metric tons versus about 20 metric tons average for the nation, with Manhattanites even lower than the city as a whole.”
Living side by side with a million or so neighbors in Manhattan requires sharing a great deal of space, electricity and water. And of course, we walk everywhere and use public transportation regularly. If we ignore pollution in NYC (although it is improving daily with the introduction of hybrid taxis and buses powered by ultra-low sulfur fuel), NYC apartment living is a win-win in the eco-friendly world.
However, from a clutter specialist’s point of view, the extreme “compactness” of our living space and the overflow of stuff scores mediocre points at best. You know the saying: “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Well, what is an eco-warrior mama to do when there are no more spaces and too much stuff?
After a quick Google search on clutter cleaning, I was flooded with information from tons of experts with good advice on cleaning closets and clearing art supply cabinets. But what about all the stuff? My eco-spin on the subject of clutter is summed up with one word: reduce. Reduce the amount of stuff that is flowing into our house and, hopefully, reduce the clutter in our simple abode.
The following is my eco-clutter clean to-do list.
| 1 | Stop the Catalogs | The best-known service to cut down on your catalog onslaught is Catalog Choice. This is a free nonprofit service. |
| 2 | Stop the Junk Mail | There is no one-stop way to eliminate all unwanted junk mail, e-mail, phone contacts or coupons, because they can come from different companies. Here are some of the larger ones that you can check out to get your name off their lists: Valassis: One of the largest companies responsible for coupon inserts. You can go to their website and click on “Contact Us” to remove your contact information. Acxiom: Another marketing company responsible for many phone, mail and e-mail contacts. Visit the website to be removed from their lists. National Do Not Call Registry: Register on this site to stop telemarketers from calling your home, or file a complaint. |
| 3 | Go Paperless with Your Bills |
Set up all your bills to be paid online. It saves paper and makes bill paying very easy. |
| 4 | Say No to Receipts at the ATM |
Some receipts you need for tax purposes, but the ATM receipt is a waste of paper and a clutter-conscious person’s worst nightmare. |
| 5 | Use the Library | I love books. I love books so much that my bookshelves are overflowing. Hello, library. My kids and I visit regularly and enjoy oodles of books that don’t need to find a permanent place in our home. |
| 6 | Weed Through Your Books, CDs, Videos | I am not bringing in more books, but what to do with all the ones that I have? Try selling your books, CDs or videos via eBay, Amazon or Craigslist, or find a happy home for your stuff on Freecycle, where “it's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills.” |
| 7 | Read Online |
The pile of The New Yorker magazines in the living room seems to multiple daily. I love the magazine, but reading each week doesn’t always happen, and the pile grows. I love reading newspapers online. Why not magazines? I don’t know if I am quite ready for reading books online, but I have heard people rave about the all-popular Kindle. |
| 8 | Clean the Closets |
I love getting hand-me-downs, and I love passing stuff on to the next lucky recipient. Check out local thrift stores for options on giving away unwanted clothes, toys, books, etc. |
| 9 | No-Purchasing Days | Designate a day or two (or three) a week where you don’t purchase anything. Leave the credit card at home and just skip the stores. |
| 10 | Plan Your Purchases |
There’s nothing like a little retail therapy to brighten your mood. But in the long run, buying something when you don’t really need it or want it is a big burden. Think long and hard before you make your next purchase. |
This should get you started on some simple ways to tackle the influx of stuff into your home. Happy eco-clutter clean!
In 2006, Francesca Olivieri co-founded the company sage baby, an online eco-friendly baby store offering everything from organic clothes and skincare to furniture. She also writes a monthly blog for Scenic Hudson as well as contributes articles to Daily Candy Kids, CitiScoop and NRDC’s Simple Steps. She continues to watch her green business grow while seeking to apply her values to her own home and family. Francesca lives in New York City with her husband and three kids, 9, 7 and 4.
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