Eco Friendly Organizing Tips

REDUCE

The average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail each year. If you have difficulty keeping up with the influx of mail into your home or office, then the first step is to reduce the junk. While there is not currently a national do not mail registry, you can opt out from some of the largest offenders at: www.donotmail.org.

To stop credit card and insurance mailings contact www.optoutprescreen.com or call 888.567.8688. For magazines call the 800 number and ask to be removed or use www.catalogchoice.org.

Another tip, consider paying your bills online and opt for paperless billing to save trees and cut down on the paper clutter. “The US uses approx. 68 million trees each year to produce 17 billion catalogs and 65 billion pieces of direct mail.” Source: American Forest and Paper Association

For about $1 each you can purchase reusable shopping bags and cut down on the pile-up of plastic bags in landfills and in your home. Plastic bottles not only fill up landfills, but also take up storage space in pantries, garages and refrigerators. Instead, purchase a refillable water container for each member of your family. And you can earn extra points for these actions since you also are reusing them item saving manufacturing and carbon expenditures.

REUSE

“Real Simple” magazine features an article each month called “New Uses for Old Things”. Discovering ways to re-use products rather than buy new is the second step in the Green Organizing process.

Using recycled and/or biodegradable products and purchasing organizing products from companies that adhere to environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices.

Consider replacing your batteries with the multitude of rechargeable options now available. There are even optional solar chargers for most of your interests.
If you do have to buy new, consider Eco-Friendly products – use products made from recycled or natural, sustainable materials such as bamboo, cotton and linen.
Conservation is another form of reusing. Think of some of the items you already own and see if it can be re-purposed and given a new life.

RECYCLE

Almost anything can be recycled somewhere. A great resource to check if your item can be recycled is www.earth911.org.

Cell Phones – recycle wirelessphones.com
Computers, Compact Fluorescent Bulbs – Ikea and Home Depot operate CFL recycling programs. Check with your local store
CROCS – The manufacturer recycles used Crocs into new shoes and donates them to underprivileged families. Mail them to: Crocs Recycling West, 3375 Enterprise Avenue, Bloomington CA 92316
CD’s/DVD s/Video Tapes/Cassettes/Floppy Disks – www.greendisk.com
Hangers – Donate plastic to a thrift store. Return wire to dry cleaner or recycle
Holiday cards – recycle or donate to stjudesranch.org
IPod – return to Apple store for 10% off a new purchase
Ink Cartridges – Take them to Staples and get $3 off your next cartridge purchase, or mail HP-brand cartridges back to HP
Sports equipment – playitagainsports.com
Holiday Lights – Ship your old lights to holidayleds.com, Attention: Recycling Program, 120 W. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1403, Jackson MI 49201. The company will send you a coupon for 10 percent off its LED lights, which use 80 percent less energy and last 10 years or more.
Set up a recycling center in your home or place of business. http://earth911.com/recycling
Set up a donation center in your home. Place all unwanted items in a bin labeled: DONATION. You may be surprised how much you no longer use.
Safely dispose of medicine and prescriptions – http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm101653.htm