Sustainable September 2015 - Day Sixteen

Hello my dear friends and followers,
Forgive me for a late blog post today but I'm rather unwell. I wanted to do something fun and exciting because i want it to inspire me to be fun and excited (even when i feel so crappy).

So today's Sustainable September idea is...

September 16: Dejunk! 

Go through your things and get rid of everything you don't NEED! One idea for this is so you can make some extra cash selling the stuff at a garage sale, eBay, or at a vintage shop (depends how old your stuff is really). I was reading an article today about how actually holding, or even shopping at, Garage Sales are excellent for the environment. The article by Domain talks about putting "personal financial gain aside, garage sales are also doing their part for making us a greener country by encouraging reuse and reducing waste. “Passing on what you don’t want to someone who does want it is a fantastic form of sustainability,” Nichols says. “Over the past decade, Australians have doubled the amount of waste we generate, from 22.7 million tonnes to 43.6 million tonnes. Landfill is a significant issue but collectively we can make a real difference” (2015).

Okay, I know you might not think this whole de-junking business is exciting, but for me it is. Currently I actually have a crazy messy room at the moment. I hate the mess. And I am a little ashamed of how bad I have let it get. I have been so busy this last month that I have literally thrown thing into my room so as to get more stuff in there. I think its time I got rid of some of the "Stuff". I do not need it all. Except the books. I do need those right? ;) 

This is also part of the Zero Waste book. The Second Phase of Bea Johnson's book talks about Reducing. I know you have seen the below diagram before. And this is another part of it.

Diagram: page 15 of Zero Waste Home.

Bea Johnson writes... "Reducing is an immediate aid to our environmental crisis. It addresses the core issues of our waste problem and takes into consideration the imminent environmental consequences of population growth, associated consumption, and the finite planetary resources that cannot support the world's needs. Reducing also results in a simplified lifestyle that allows you to focus on quality verses quantity and experiences verses stuff. It encourages questioning the need and use of past, present, and future purchases. The things you own, you own because you need them." (pg 19).

I love this book! On page 21 Bea offers a range of places to get rid of your excess "stuff" too. Things like selling to Amazon.com, eBay, flea markets. Or even if you want to continue the kindness on, pass it on to Goodwill, Salvation Army, Freecycle.org, Homeless or women's shelters, schools, etc.

There are so many things you could pass on. That you do not need in your life, that someone might need. And that you can share.

I have been following the work of an organisational specialist from Japan recently,  Mary Kondo. The following video is from her...



She is a genius. Asking the question "Does this item spark joy?" To clarify does it make you happy? does it make you proud? If it doesn't get rid of it. If it does, keep it! :) This is a perfect way to de-clutter. The video is long but it is really worth it. And you can always buy Mary Kondo's book "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up", which I will probably buy in the near future.

KINDNESS IDEA: Donate some of your de-cluttering to charity, so that they can make money off your donations.

I hope this finds you well, and healthy!
Much love,
Daena x