Reduce, Reuse, Recyle!

With Earth Day just around the corner, I thought that I'd talk about the 3 R's:  reduce, reuse, recycle from an organizer's perspective.

Reduce
I like to watch HGTV and other home improvement programs.  I am often amazed at people that think they need to move because they don't have enough space, yet every room in the house is cluttered.  Before going through the stress of house hunting, getting a mortgage, and moving, I think that they should try to organize their things and get rid of things that they can't even use in their clutter.  Sometimes, simply bringing in an organizer can help you tackle your things and find storage solutions for the items that you still want.  Doing this solves the need for more livable space and can save you money.  Here's some other advice:

• Being organized allows you to reduce the amount of items that you bring into your home, because you'll be more aware of the items that you actually own.  I'll admit that I like to stock up on certain things, especially if they are on sale.  However, if I don't have the space for it, it stays in the store.
• To help me remember what extras I have already purchased, I keep a shelf in my bathroom for all of the extra health and beauty aids.  If I have an extra on the shelf, I definitely do not need to purchase another.  
• Keeping cleaning products in a common location also prevents me from buying more when I don't need it.  
• My ready made grocery list allows me to check my current inventory and only mark the items in which we need.  It also can save money since we won't buy things that we don't have time to eat before they expire.  
• When I buy non-consumable things, I donate or throw the old ones away depending on the condition.   Twice a year, we go through our clothes and donate what we no longer want to wear.  This prevents our closets from getting out of control.
• Yesterday, I blogged about mail and how you reduce your mail by using online bill pay and canceling magazine subscriptions.

Reuse
Just because something is designed for one use doesn't mean that it can't be used for something else.  Again, referring to yesterday's post, I made mail sorters out of cereal boxes.  Re-purposing items is easier on the environment, but can also make things easier on your wallet.  Here's a brief list of ideas:

• Reuse paper or plastic bags when you go to the store if you don't have reusable bags.  Some stores will even reduce your total by a few cents per bag.  The small plastic bags also work great for garbage liners for trash cans in your bathroom.  Bread bags can be used to clean up pet waste.  Keeping an extra plastic bag in the car can also come in handy for various things that occur. 
• My husband loves to reuse plastic jars that held food for things, such as hardware, in the garage.  If you drop them on the ground, they don't shatter, and you can easily see what is in them.  They can also be reused for food or craft supply storage.  I store my measuring spoons in one in the cupboard and keep it next to the measuring cups.
• Scrap paper is great for writing notes to members of the family or for to do lists.  I like to use the back of envelops that held my mail.  We then like to save some of the paper to start fires in our fire pit during the summer.  
• Newspapers can be used to wrap gifts.  I use stamps to dress them up a bit and add color.
• Spray bottles can be cleaned and reused to make homemade bug repellent, window wash, fabric spray, etc.  You might like to put water in one to spray yourself on those hot summer days. You'll not only save money on bottles, you'll save money on what you make to put in them. 
•  Old toothbrushes work great when cleaning small hard to reach places.
• Mint tins come in handy to hold small items like paper clips, tacks, and bobby pins.  

Also, don't forget that you don't need to be the one to reuse the items.  Donate the items to a school or charity, such as a women's shelter or a community member in need.  Or you can try to sell the items in a rummage sale or online.  We have a sign that we sometimes stick in the yard to advertise that things are free.  After all, "one man's trash is another man's treasure". 

Recycling
While recycling saves room in our landfills, it tends to take up quite a bit of room in our homes.  My house was built way before recycling was conceived, so finding space for it can be a challenge.  The containers designed for recyclables are often large and come in loud colors.  I would recommend keeping the larger containers outside or in the garage unless you have the space.  I would love to have the cupboard space to have pull out containers, but I don't.  I decided to think outside the box and find something that wouldn't scream recycling.  Here's what I found:

What I like about it is that the drawers pull out completely and can be returned with ease, it has wheels, and it comes in black.  It is meant to be used in a closet and/or bedroom.  Assembly was required, but took me less than 10 minutes and included the tools needed.  I have labels on the handles of metals, plastics, and papers.  I also have it near my garbage can, so it is easy to sort what needs to be recycled.  Once they get full, the drawers are pulled out and put in their containers that will go out to our curb on recycling day.