We’re living in a post-Kondo world where charity shops are bursting at the seams.
Decluttering responsibly can be a challenge, but it is possible. Here are a few suggestions from the ecostore team to help you declutter without messing up the planet.
TAKE IT SLOWLY
It’s taken years to accumulate. And you might be champing at the bit to see the floor again. But faster doesn’t always equal better. An extreme, rapid declutter might not give you enough time to consider and organise, so you make sure that everything you’re getting rid of finds the best new home. For example, it’s probably faster to rent a skip for that old bike, than it is to find a workshop where it can be fixed.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
With a bit of planning and sorting your clutter into categories, you can support your local community organisations like the Salvation Army, and give unused items a new life. Good quality clothes donated to Dress for Success could give a confidence boost to someone re-entering the workforce. The SPCA uses old towels and blankets to make dog and cat beds, and they’ll take your disused pet paraphernalia too. Unopened personal care and cosmetics are gratefully received by your local Women’s Refuge.
RECYCLE THE REST
Consider how much of your clutter could be recycled. The forest of glass jars without matching lids, the stacks of magazines, or the barely closing drawer of takeaway containers can all be recycled at your kerbside. You can drop off your used electronics at Appliance Recycling and Electronic Recycling in Onehunga, plus ecostore also has a mobile phone collection point at our flagship store.
GIVING AND GIFTING
If you’re looking for ways to ‘spark joy’, this last one could be it. If you have something that a friend really needs or loves, surprise them with an impromptu gift. Just make sure they really do love it, want it and it’s in good condition for its new owner.
ECOSTORE, 1 Scotland Street, T: 09 360 8477, www.ecostore.co.nz
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