Environmental Decluttering: Simplifying Our Lives for a Sustainable Future

In our modern lives, clutter seems to be an inevitable part of our daily routines. From overflowing closets to cluttered digital spaces, we accumulate more belongings and information than we need. However, as we become increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability, it’s time to consider decluttering not only our physical spaces but also our environmental impact. Environmental decluttering, a concept that focuses on simplifying our lives and reducing our ecological footprint, can help us create a more sustainable future for generations to come. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of environmental decluttering and provide practical tips to implement it in our lives.

What is Environmental Decluttering & Why is it Important?

Welcome to my Year Long Thorough Declutter Series. We declutter 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Each day we do a daily task based on the room we are working on. Today, our task is to start decluttering your clutter in your 2nd bathroom. If you prefer watching videos, check out my youtube channel here. Today, we’ll look at Environmental Decluttering.

The best way to develop a new habit is by slowly and daily application. We will begin a new daily declutter habit starting with the 2nd bathroom. In the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series, we will declutter 30 minutes a day, five days a week on weekdays. Sign up to receive daily encouragement and motivation.

Plus, you’ll learn your specific daily task to work toward completing the goal of a Year Long Thorough Declutter where you will declutter every space and learn how to start to purge your house. Are you ready to finally get organized? If so, will you join us? Leave a comment below to subscribe.

If you are new to the blog, welcome! I blog about cleaning, decluttering, and organizing. You can find my free printables to help you get organized in the drop down menu under the Printables category.

Currently we are working on decluttering the 2nd bathroom. The daily task for today, May 16, 2023, is to begin decluttering your cotton swabs and nail polish. Remember, we are focusing on just the 2nd Bathroom area, so don’t declutter your whole house. We will cover each room separately.

What is Environmental Decluttering & Why is it Important?

Understanding Environmental Decluttering:

Environmental decluttering is an approach that goes beyond tidying up physical spaces and extends to reducing waste, conserving resources, and living more mindfully. It involves making conscious choices to simplify our lives and reduce the negative impact we have on the environment. By decluttering our surroundings and adopting sustainable practices, we can create a healthier planet for ourselves and future generations.

Reducing Physical Clutter:

Physical clutter not only affects our mental well-being but also contributes to unnecessary waste and resource depletion. Here are some practical ways to reduce physical clutter and promote sustainability:

Assess and declutter: Start by assessing your belongings and donate, recycle, or repurpose items that you no longer need. Embrace a minimalist mindset and prioritize quality over quantity.
Sustainable shopping: Avoid impulse purchases and consider the environmental impact of products before buying. Choose durable, eco-friendly options and support ethical brands that prioritize sustainability.
Repair and repurpose: Instead of immediately discarding items that are broken or worn out, explore repair options or find creative ways to repurpose them. This extends the lifespan of your belongings and reduces waste.

Streamlining Digital Spaces:

In the digital age, decluttering isn’t limited to physical possessions. Our digital lives also contribute to environmental impact through energy consumption and electronic waste. Here’s how you can declutter your digital spaces:

Delete unused files: Sort through your computer files, delete duplicates, and remove unused software. Optimize your digital storage to reduce energy consumption and increase device longevity.
Mindful online habits: Be mindful of the resources you consume online. Unsubscribe from unnecessary email newsletters, reduce file sizes before sharing, and limit the time spent streaming videos to conserve energy.
Recycle e-waste responsibly: When disposing of electronic devices, ensure they are recycled properly to prevent hazardous materials from entering landfills. Look for certified e-waste recycling centers in your area.

Adopting Sustainable Habits:

Environmental decluttering involves embracing sustainable habits that contribute to a greener future. Here are some key practices to integrate into your daily life:

Energy and water conservation: Reduce your energy consumption by turning off lights and appliances when not in use. Conserve water by fixing leaks, taking shorter showers, and collecting rainwater for plants.
Waste reduction and recycling: Embrace a zero-waste lifestyle by reducing single-use items, composting organic waste, and recycling diligently. Choose reusable alternatives such as cloth bags and stainless steel water bottles.
Mindful consumption: Before making a purchase, consider whether it aligns with your values and the principles of environmental sustainability. Support local businesses, opt for sustainable packaging, and choose products with minimal environmental impact.

Environmental decluttering offers a pathway to simplify our lives while nurturing a sustainable future. By decluttering our physical and digital spaces, adopting sustainable habits, and making conscious choices, we can reduce our ecological footprint and preserve the planet’s resources.

I personally have a bad habit of placing items that need to be donated in the laundry room behind the door. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Wrong. Delaying decisions means we still need to declutter.

Maybe you have a habit of delaying decisions, too. Let’s decide today where your decluttered items need to go. Do they need to be donated? Disposed of? Don’t delay that decision any longer. If they need to be donated, sort and put them in your vehicle. Then, make a note in your calendar to drop them off at your favorite charity.

As you are decluttering your items, I want you to try not to just move them to another room. You may be tempted to do that. However, resist the urge to keep everything. Decluttering means we actually part with these items. Otherwise, assign those items a permanent home where you can best utilize them.

Decluttering tips that apply to all the different types of decluttering

1.Only spend time on your specific daily task.

2.Do not get side-tracked or distracted.

3.Work within a time of day that you have the most energy and stamina. This is one of the most useful declutter motivation tips. Listen to your body and work at decluttering when you feel the most alert and energized.

4.Avoid thinking too long about whether to keep or discard an item. This is one specific way for How to Be Ruthless When Decluttering.

5.Avoid cleaning during your declutter. The goal is to purge the dead weight. Getting rid of the clutter is your priority. Cleaning can be accomplished later. Read on for more declutter motivation tips and my room specific deep clean checklist, though, as you will begin cleaning after your declutter.

Ideas and Tips for all the different types of decluttering

Supplies Needed:

1. boxes -preferably ones you can donate (Avoid plastic storage bins because you may be tempted to just store the items and not part with them.)

2. sturdy trash bags

3. marker/pen to label boxes

Decluttering Tip: Avoid using storage bins to declutter. Storage bins tend to tell your brain to “store” the items for later. That is just delaying decisions. If you aren’t getting rid of items when you declutter, you are not truly decluttering. This is why I recommend a trash bag, also. A trash bag tells your brain to “trash” the item.

Obviously, recycle if you have that option. The boxes you use should be ones you are willing to part with, so I recommend sturdy cardboard boxes. As to donations, there are many charities that will come pick up your items for you at your home.

I use one in particular where you can book an appointment for pick-up online. This is so convenient, as it saves you the hassle of hauling stuff away yourself. Scheduling that pick-up also motivates you to declutter by a certain date.

Decluttering Steps for the different types of decluttering

1. Start by eliminating trash first- use a sturdy trash bag

2. Sort items by category if needed so you can see what you have

3.Get rid of items that don’t work or that work poorly, expired items, anything you don’t love, anything that you’ll never use again

4. Box up the donations and trash/recycle the rest

5.Select a charity to donate your items and schedule the pick-up if that is an option

How Do You Declutter Your Entire House (and get it deep clean?): Need to deep clean?

First, My How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen list can be found here.

Second, My How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom list can be found here.

Third, My How to Deep Clean Your Kids’ Rooms list can be found here.

Fourth, My How to Deep Clean Your Living Room list can be found here.

Fifth, My How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom list can be found here.

You can get your printable Daily Housekeeping Routine and Deep Cleaning Your House Schedule here. This 15 page printable kit is delivered digitally to your email for you to print and personalize. What Does a Deep Clean Include? It includes a daily schedule, calendar pages, and deep cleaning checklists for every room and area of your home. Check out the link above to see a sample page of what you’ll get in my printable set designed to help you create your personal Homemaking Checklist.

Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can find that here.

New to deemiddleton.com and don’t know where to start? I recommend going in this order:

Step 1: Check out this post on the 1st step you should take to get organized. If you don’t have a calendar, you can grab my free weekly printable calendar page here. It is in my shopify store, but it is totally free, so you won’t be prompted to put in any payment information. It is a free download and will be delivered straight to your email.

Step 2: Create a daily Housekeeping Schedule. You can use this series to start to set up your own schedule. You can also use this simplified weekly schedule.If you often ask: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Or, if you struggle to get organized and have tried and failed time and again, you can likely find out which of these 11 reasons cause you to fail to get organized.

Step 3: How do you remove clutter? How Do You Declutter Your Home?.…Sign up for the Declutter Series and get your entire home decluttered in just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.”Declutter Your Home” checklists are provided in each email.

Step 4: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Use a timer and use the Deep Cleaning Checklists above. They will help you get your home sparkling after you’ve decluttered.

Interested in becoming a full-time blogger like me? Check out my blogging series. At the top of every page on my blog, you’ll find a drop down menu. Just select the BLOGGING category.