Do you want to declutter sustainably and counteract the throwaway society? Then you've come to the right place! After a clear-out, quite a lot of things usually end up in the garbage can and in the incinerator - from furniture and slatted frames, carpets and pictures to bicycles and crockery sets. Careful, appreciative handling of the natural resources of our planet are respected by very few people.
Whether you're clearing out your home, business or household or just want to finally clear out a certain room, attic, garage, junk room or cellar - try to do it in a conscious, fair and sustainable way.
This is absolutely uncomplicated and experience has shown that it is not only good for the environment, but also for other people and your wallet.
In this article, I'd like to give you the most important tips for sustainable decluttering. Let's go!
You can find a brief overview here in advance:
- Have the work carried out by an environmentally friendly clearing company
- Prepare and plan your own clear-out
- Use 3-box method for separation
- Donate useful items to social institutions
- Hand in items to second-hand stores
- Selling things at the flea market and via classified ads
- Using sales opportunities on the Internet
- Pass on useful things to family and friends
- Comply with local waste separation and recycling guidelines
- Pay particular attention to hazardous waste
Definition: What is decluttering?
Clearing out is the process of Sorting out and disposing of items that are worthless or no longer needed (junk) from a house, an apartment or special areas of the private environment.
It is done, for example, to restore Creating space within your own four walls or often also in the course of a Household liquidation as a result of a deathThe entire furnishings, including all the deceased's belongings, are disposed of, given away or sold.
Advantages: Why should you declutter sustainably?
A certain area or even an entire apartment or house needs to be tidied up. But why all this? On the one hand, to Clean chaos and the own Well-being through more space and the overview gained. After all, a cluttered room has a negative impact on your own psyche. In addition, by selling a number of things, you can also improve your own Fill up your wallet a little.
But for what reasons should one now sustainable declutter? Here I have some Advantages of environmentally friendly decluttering concisely compiled to keep motivation high at all times:
Valuing natural resources
By recycling as many items as possible from the decluttering process, you are helping to ensure that the Earth's resources conserved be
Quite simply by continue to use existing items and avoid buying new ones (i.e. the use of other natural resources by you or another person) avoid.
Protect the environment
Whether on the highest mountain peaks or in the most impressive depths of the oceans - Toxic, man-made waste can now be found all over the world. By clearing out in an environmentally friendly way, you ensure that no more is added - and that animals, water, air and soil are protected.
Bring joy to other people
When you clean out a room or an entire apartment in an environmentally conscious way, you are usually left with very many items left over for which you perhaps see no usebut which other people would still like to use.
By using them you donate, give away or sellyou can make sure that toys, furniture or bicycles, for example, get a second chance. Final disposal should always be the last alternative.
10 tips: How can you declutter sustainably?
Sustainable decluttering has many benefits for you, the environment and other people. Now that you know the "why", we can move on to the "how", i.e. the promised tips for the ecological disposal or reuse of the "clutter".
Use the following Advice and ideas to make a real differencethe next time you muck out on a grand scale.
1. have the work carried out by an environmentally friendly clearing company
Depending on apartment size and floor, a clear-out can be a really big project. Dustbins have to be ordered, furniture dismantled, countless trips made and a no parking sign put up outside the front door in good time.
The most convenient and equally sustainable way is to find a professional disposal company (for example, with the help of entsorgo) that pursues a green philosophy (e.g. "Reuse a lot, throw away a little!") and that is relevant to the respective household or room. Cleared out with experts. This of course saves you time as well as physical and possibly also mental stress.
Experience has shown that emotional stress is particularly after deaths or in the dissolution of Messy Householdswhose inhabitants had an urge to accumulate and store objects.
A decluttering company can relieve you of this and other stress. As a rule, they not only take care of the Sorting and proper disposalbut also about the Reuse and the sale usable objects.
Especially if you've been putting off decluttering for ages, this tip can be extremely valuable.
2. prepare and plan your own clear-out
Of course, professional help with decluttering also costs something Money - But maybe you also want them gladly do it yourself or just quickly clear out the storage room, shed, garage, garden shed or another specific room. Then, of course, it is also a good idea to take action yourself.
Here are a few valuable tips for you that you should definitely consider in advance:
- Plan for intermediate stages: Determine a sub-area (e.g. cellar, closet, kitchen island or junk room) that you want to have cleared out on each day. Such interim goals and small successes increase motivation and make large decluttering projects seem smaller.
- Get boxes and label them: Experience has shown that you need sufficient quantities of boxes. It's better to get a few more than you think you need - and label them sensibly.
- Rent construction waste container: If larger projects also generate construction waste such as bricks, tiles or clinker bricks, you should definitely borrow a construction waste container from a specialist company in advance in order to remove the waste. Separate waste correctly and avoid duplicate work.
3. Use 3-box method for separation.
I can recommend the 3-box method for sorting your sustainably decluttered items in a clear and sensible way. Simply label 3 boxes or three stacks of boxes "to dispose of," "to give away," or "to keep" and assign the items from the household to them. This way, the hard-working helpers know what to do when they carry the boxes out of the house or apartment.
4. donate useful items to social institutions
Whether it's furniture, cushions, blankets, pictures, carpets or crockery, charities in your area can always use a few donated items from house clearances - from social organizations for People with disabilities, senior citizens or homeless people, about Daycare centers, Social department stores, Animal shelters, Refugee accommodation, up to Artists' studios.
It is advisable to avoid unnecessary journeys and to reuse as many items as possible, call once before and to ask if and what is currently needed.
5. give items to second-hand stores
If social institutions have no use for one or two items from sustainable decluttering, then you should definitely check out Second-hand stores and small Second-hand stores try
Whether chopping boards, cupboards, humps, baskets, kitchen utensils or books - there is always looking for unique, affordable, individual and environmentally friendly bargains.
Tip: You can also hand in books to public bookcases in your area, as free reading material is welcome and used everywhere. Why you should read books regularly by the way, I explain in the linked blog post.
6. sell things at the flea market and via classified ads
At local flea markets or jumble sales, you can still make a profit by selling lots of discarded items from household liquidations or clearing out attics and garages. earn a euro or two.
You are guaranteed to find buyers for things there, that you no longer have any use for - and in this way you can, so to speak save money through sustainability.
7. use sales opportunities on the Internet
Of course, there are also really good places online to buy the items that have been sorted out after the clear-out. Second-hand items for sale. Interesting Books you can, for example, via Medimops* respectively Momox* sell to third parties. And well-preserved items of clothing can be found via Kleiderkreisel guarantees a buyer.
Via online portals such as eBay Classifieds you can basically get rid of any item. Also via local Facebook groups you can try it once.
8. pass on useful things to family and friends
Of course, a clear-out will also reveal many things that family members, friends or people in your neighborhood would certainly still enjoy. In the Asking acquaintances and friends, costs nothing.
By passing on some discarded items to your friends, you can be sure that they will in good hands are and that less thrown away will.
9. comply with local waste separation and recycling guidelines
If you want to declutter sustainably, you should, of course, remove all the Items that cannot be kept, sold, given away or donatedproperly separated and disposed of so that Natural resources can be reused in the best possible way.
Ideally, you already have them during the decluttering process. presorted in an extra box. Particularly with mixed product components, make sure that you separate them as far as possible before you put them in the recycling.
It is best to separate the following waste before disposing of it properly:
- Bulky waste Have it collected by your local waste disposal company or take it to a recycling center (e.g. slatted frames with metal springs or large carpets)
- Construction waste and mixed construction waste Take to the recycling center (e.g. bricks or cables)
- Waste wood Dispose of via bulky waste or hand in at a recycling center (e.g. chipboard, kitchen or ceiling panels)
- Cardboard and paper dispose of in the blue garbage can (e.g. old folders and documents)
- Scrap metal Take to the recycling center or scrap yard (e.g. iron pans)
- Residual waste dispose of in the black garbage can (e.g. wallpaper residues)
- Aluminum and plastics dispose of in the yellow bag (e.g. tin cans and plastic bottles)
- Electronic scrap Take to the recycling center (e.g. microwave or hair dryer)
- Hazardous waste Take to the hazardous waste collection point or recycling center (e.g. energy-saving lamps)
10. pay special attention to hazardous waste
Certain types of waste require separate disposal, for example due to their high pollutant content, and may not be disposed of separately. not simply disposed of with household waste become. Hazardous waste can be pathogenic, flammable or explosive, for example.
Here are some examples of leftovers from a clear-out that need to be disposed of separately:
- Waste oil
- Batteries
- Toner
- Energy saving lamps
- Paints and varnishes
Smaller quantities can be taken to your local authority's hazardous waste collection point or recycling center, for example. However, if the volume exceeds 1 m³ for each type of waste, you should order a container for hazardous waste.
Tip: Have you ever heard of Urban Mining heard of? This refers to the recovery of raw materials by reprocessing existing goods in a specific environment. You can find out more about this in the linked blog post.
Sustainable decluttering made easy!
All items that turn up during a clear-out have their value. Maybe not for you personally, but definitely for someone else and for the environment. This is an important basic attitude of the sustainable lifestyle in the fight against Disposable society.
"Be the change you wish to see in this world."
Mahatma Gandhi (more at Zero Waste Quotes)
I very much hope that I have been able to help you with this blog article and enable you to declutter in an environmentally friendly way. Do you have any questions, suggestions or other eco-friendly decluttering tips? Then I look forward to your comment.
Stay sustainable,
PS: You might also be interested in the article about the sustainable movewhich is hidden behind the link. Look gladly times purely!
