• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About me
  • Blog posts
  • Work with me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Secondary Navigation Social Media Icons

    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
Enviroline Blog

Enviroline Blog

Eco-Friendly Blogger

  • Nature
  • Other categories
    • Mental health
    • ED recovery
    • Guest posts
    • Lifestyle
    • Freebie library
  • Sustainability
    • Plastic Free July
  • Environmental
You are here: Home / Blog posts / How to declutter sustainably

How to declutter sustainably

March 27, 2022 Filed Under: Blog posts, Guest posts, Sustainability

Today’s blog post is by Kate from Writer In Residence, sharing how to declutter sustainably. As much as I love a tidy and organised area, I have always been sceptical of how sustainable decluttering is. In this post, Kate shares these worries with solutions. On her blog, you can find short, conversational essays about navigating the writing life, minimalism and lifestyle.

(Featured photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash)


‘Decluttering’ has become such a buzzword in recent years. Ever since Marie Kondo asked us all to question whether our belongings ‘sparked joy’, thousands of people have jumped on the craze of reducing their wardrobes and household junk in order to make space in their homes and their lives.

I am no stranger to this. I began with decluttering my wardrobe around 5 years ago. It ended with myself and my family downsizing to a lovely apartment after shedding around 80-90% of our stuff.

But although I can vouch for the freeing feeling decluttering your stuff can give you, there is also an increasing concern around the sustainability of resources on our planet. Not to mention, charity shops have had a huge influx of unwanted items donated to them. Often so much that they cannot cope with the sheer amount of stuff.

As I live close to a large University, I have seen the problems for students coming to the end of their semester and having to get rid of lots of items they no longer need. Bins begin to overflow, and having volunteered for a charity shop in the past, they often have to dispose of items when they can’t be sold.

A More Sustainable Solution

So, in an effort to make life easier, whether you are thinking of having a spring clean, or needing to clear out your student house. I have put together a few things I’ve learnt on my own decluttering journey.

Repurpose, Repair or Upcycle

One way to declutter sustainably is to repurpose, repair or upcycle. I am not what you’d call a handy person. The most I can do is sew on the odd button! But even I have been known to repurpose an item or two.

Take things like glass jars. I now clean out any food items which come in glass jars for refilling with dried goods, putting in leftovers for the fridge, or using them in my cupboards to hold other items. For example, hair bobbles or elastic bands. iPhone boxes make great containers for placing in desk drawers to keep stationery from rolling around. 

Continue reading: How to declutter sustainably

Other items such as old t-shirts make great cleaning cloths and socks can be good as dusters. I even use the plastic lids from my tin of coffee to put over canned food stored in the fridge! It sometimes just takes a bit of imagination to put something to good use rather than trashing it.

If you are handy or have somewhere local that you can take an item to consider getting it repaired. We have a local shop which will fix broken zips or mend clothes, also an electrical shop which often takes a broken item such as a vacuum and fixes it for a few quid. This way, everyone wins!

Finally, upcycling takes this idea to another level. I haven’t done this myself, but there are loads of good YouTube videos out there that talk you through projects. ‘The Simple Environmentalist’ is a good place to start, she also has loads of free/cheap ideas to live more sustainably by reusing what you have.

Selling Your Stuff 

I know it can sometimes feel like a bit of a hassle, but something I had never thought of until somebody pointed it out to me was that if you sell something, even for a tiny amount of money, it is much more likely that the person buying it is going to have a use for it. Whereas just carting bin bags full of stuff to the charity shop means it may never sell.

There are lots of places you can sell things online, such as Gumtree, eBay, Depop, Vinted and Facebook MarketPlace. I have most often used Gumtree, because it attracted local people for larger items, such as bikes. I was happy to post out smaller items, such as handbags or clothes.

Related post: 8 reasons to choose second-hand

To give your items the best chance of being bought quickly, try to take a decent photograph and display them well. I wanted to get rid of items quickly so put them at a low price. But if you are seeing this as an opportunity to make more money, you might need to be patient for the right person to buy.

Giving It Away

If you really want to declutter quickly and sustainably, (particularly if you are moving out of a shared house soon) I have found that offering items for free have worked well. Try friends, family, neighbours, co-workers. WhatsApp groups are good for this, or even just use a site like Freecycle or Gumtree. I have given away a chair, a bike, a suitcase, a rug and a tumble dryer this way!

Donate

So if you’ve tried repurposing the item, and you’ve considered selling or giving it away, eventually you might have a lot of decluttered items to still get rid of.  

Obviously, donating them is preferable to throwing them in the landfill, but try to be mindful of where might be best to direct your unwanted items. I used to be a volunteer sorter for a large charity shop, and they had quite strict rules on what could be sold on the shop floor or online. Ask in charity shops before donating to ensure your items will go to good use.

Any clothing that was stained, ripped, zips broken, dirty, or really dated (unless it was suitable for the ‘vintage’ range) had to be disposed of. The charity did have a facility whereby these ‘rags’ would be collected and some of them recycled. It could be worth asking your local shop if it’s worth donating them separately. But otherwise, these will have to be disposed of.

Things like old blankets and towels are often used by animal charities such as the RSPCA or smaller animal shelters. It could be worth checking this out if there’s one nearby.

If you have decent clothing that you no longer want, try to donate it in a clean state. It’s worth checking with the charity shop whether they accept certain items. For example, some can take electrical goods but many can’t. If you have items like sharp knives and cutlery, it is a good idea to wrap these up carefully and put a label on them.

Other ideas for places to donate items other than clothing are things like unopened, new toiletries. These are great for putting into foodbank collections. They often have collection bins in your local supermarket. If you’re moving out of a shared house, it might be worth checking your cupboards for any in date, non-perishable foods (such as tinned goods), which you can also drop off.

Doing Your Best

At some point in your decluttering, you will have to dispose of some items directly into the rubbish.  This is going to be inevitable, and you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself about this.  If you have done your best to re-home or re-purpose your items, and you have donated responsibly, you can go ahead and let go of the rest.  Try not to overfill rubbish bins or leave items on the floor, because they often will not be collected or emptied.

Letting go of clutter does lift a weight off your shoulders.  If we can all just be a bit more sustainable about it, then we can help ourselves to feel lighter at the same time as helping others and the planet!

Happy decluttering : ) 

Has this inspired you to declutter more sustainably?

Best wishes, Cx

← Previous Post
Bower Collective washing up liquid review
Next Post →
April wildlife to spot in the UK

About Caroline

Welcome to Enviroline Blog 💗
I blog to raise awareness about the environment and mental health - specifically eating disorder recovery.
I upload every Sunday and some Wednesdays.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kimberly @ HHF says

    March 27, 2022 at 12:03 pm

    I love your thoughts around reuse. I think it is an important step in decluttering that a lot of people miss. Not only does it help the environment but also you wallet. Thanks for the great tips

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:09 pm

      Thank you

      Reply
  2. Jihyun says

    March 27, 2022 at 12:42 pm

    Great post! What to do with the decluttered items is the hardest part of decluttering and we should do it as sustainably as possible!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:09 pm

      I feel you

      Reply
  3. Fadima Mooneira says

    March 27, 2022 at 1:33 pm

    These are good ways to declutter. I like donating and selling my old stuffs. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:10 pm

      Thank you for reading 🙂

      Reply
  4. Nithin RS says

    March 27, 2022 at 1:33 pm

    I had a difficult time in getting rid of stuffs I had when I moved out of another city. I gave kitchen stuff to neighbour. Rest of the stuff including has stove, bed, computer table were taken away by a rubbish dealer. It was worthless. He might have dumped them somewhere.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:10 pm

      Moving out can be super time constraining!

      Reply
  5. Jamieadstories says

    March 27, 2022 at 2:02 pm

    I think that using old clothes for cleaning and donating or repurposing materials is all great!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:10 pm

      Me too

      Reply
  6. Molly Transatlantic Notes says

    March 27, 2022 at 3:21 pm

    This was brilliant! I’m in the process of moving so I’m in the process of decluttering and wanted some ideas about how to do that sustainably. Thanks for this!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:11 pm

      Thank you Molly x

      Reply
  7. Kate says

    March 27, 2022 at 3:40 pm

    Thank you so much for featuring my guest post, Caroline! It looks great and I hope your readers find it useful : )

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:11 pm

      No problem, they definitely do. I have loved featuring it! x

      Reply
  8. readandreviewit says

    March 27, 2022 at 5:38 pm

    Fab tips! I’ve been doing a huge declutter recently and at the moment I still need to figure out what I’m doing with everything so this was really helpful. I love selling things online and donating unopened toiletries to foodbanks is such an amazing idea! Thank you so much for sharing x

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:11 pm

      Me too x

      Reply
  9. Eri says

    March 27, 2022 at 6:48 pm

    These were valuable ideas! I have decluttered recently and although I have already donated lots of things still trying to find best options to recycle some of them. Thank you for sharing and for introducing Kate to us!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:12 pm

      Thank you Eri x

      Reply
  10. Her Digital Coffee says

    March 27, 2022 at 7:32 pm

    These are all great ways to declutter sustainably. Checking with local charities to see what they’re in need of is so helpful, that way you’re not donating things that they can’t use or take. Thank you for sharing Kate and Caroline!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:12 pm

      Definitely 🙂 x

      Reply
  11. Wendy says

    March 27, 2022 at 9:27 pm

    What a thoughtful and important post. I am always dropping stuff off at the charity shop, but I do need to try harder to repurpose, and give away more stuff so that it will get used.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:12 pm

      Thank you for reading!

      Reply
  12. Rayo says

    March 28, 2022 at 1:07 pm

    Great post, decluttering actually lifts weight off your feet. Donating and giving to local charity does it for me

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:12 pm

      I relate x

      Reply
  13. Penny says

    March 28, 2022 at 1:18 pm

    Lovely ideas for recycling, I love it! I use old clothes for cleaning, and I donate the ones who are in good condition. Thank you for sharing Kate and Caroline! I loved this post x Penny / http://www.whatdidshetype.com

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:13 pm

      I love the idea of using old clothes for cleaning! x

      Reply
  14. Cristina Rosano says

    March 28, 2022 at 3:41 pm

    Great post! I am planning to declutter a lot of stuff I have in my room and never know if taking it all to charity would be the best way to dispose of all of it, but will check out with friends and try to sell some stuff too x

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:13 pm

      That sounds great Cristina x

      Reply
  15. Vourneen says

    March 28, 2022 at 5:27 pm

    Great ideas on how to declutter sustainably. I’m a serial declutterer and I always try to make sure what I’m decluttering doesn’t end up in landfills. I’m not great at upcycling things myself but I donate to people to like to upcycle and sell. It helps them out as well as me!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:13 pm

      That sounds good x

      Reply
  16. Jodie says

    March 28, 2022 at 7:22 pm

    What great ideas Caroline! I love the idea of keeping glass jars to store items in (instead of turning them in for recycling). Thanks for sharing so we can all do our part.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:13 pm

      Me too! x

      Reply
  17. Jaya Avendel says

    March 28, 2022 at 8:56 pm

    An awesome post on how to declutter sustainably! Decluttering is not just about getting rid of items or throwing away as much as possible; the intention has to follow through until the end. Donating and selling are currently my top two follow-through examples. 🙂

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 31, 2022 at 10:51 pm

      Me too x

      Reply
  18. AmethystAP says

    March 28, 2022 at 9:20 pm

    These are really great tips for decluttering sustainably. I usually reuse containers and repurpose clothes too before disposing of them. Finding ways to be sustainable does require some imagination and mindful shopping in the first place in order to avoid excessive clutter. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 31, 2022 at 10:51 pm

      Me too x

      Reply
  19. Sofyah Ov says

    March 28, 2022 at 11:20 pm

    I love your tips for decluttering and it’s perfect for spring cleaning! I will keep them all in mind!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 31, 2022 at 10:51 pm

      Thanks x

      Reply
  20. ellegracedeveson says

    March 29, 2022 at 12:27 am

    As I’ve mentioned before, I’m trying my hardest to be more sustainable and reading todays post has really helped with that so thank you for sharing lovely. I try to up-cycle, reuse or give away things I don’t really want anymore. I’d much prefer to see the items go to a home that’s going to love them! Xo

    Elle – ellegracedeveson.com

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 31, 2022 at 10:51 pm

      Amazing! x

      Reply
  21. Pastor Natalie (ExamineThisMoment) says

    March 29, 2022 at 4:21 am

    Great post! Agreed donations are a great way to declutter. Giving away others brings joy to my heart as I believe it will be appreciated. Thank you for sharing. 😊

    Pastor Natalie (ExamineThisMoment)
    Letstakeamoment.com

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 31, 2022 at 10:52 pm

      Definitely x

      Reply
  22. Lisa says

    March 29, 2022 at 9:51 am

    It’s easy to forget that decluttering has a footprint as well, isn’t it? These are some great tips on sustainable decluttering – I too recycle all our glass jars (for jam making in Autumn) and keep plastic lids for food in the fridge. Good point about selling rather than dumping on charity shops too. Great guest post! x

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 31, 2022 at 10:52 pm

      I definitely agree x

      Reply
  23. Jenny in Neverland says

    March 29, 2022 at 12:40 pm

    Great post! I love de-cluttering but I hate throwing things away. I always keep a bag of clothes t donate to the Cancer Research donation facility near me. I tend to give quite a few things away as well and I’ve just started using depop again too!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 31, 2022 at 10:52 pm

      I totally feel you x

      Reply
  24. Giulia says

    March 29, 2022 at 2:30 pm

    Excellent points! I did a lot of this while we were renovating. We sold stuff, donated stuff, gave away furniture we didn’t want. Oddly, it all went to family who had some odd purpose for pieces we thought would be useless to them. Now, with a baby I plan on selling his baby clothes and things.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 31, 2022 at 10:52 pm

      Haha, that’s great!

      Reply
  25. Nyxie says

    March 29, 2022 at 7:50 pm

    Great post! We always try to donate, even old furniture! It always goes up online before it goes to the skip.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      March 31, 2022 at 10:53 pm

      Love that x

      Reply
  26. Karalee Shotola says

    April 2, 2022 at 10:13 am

    Kate’s post is so helpful! Often when people declutter, they don’t think of the environmental impact & they will just toss the items in the trash. However, these are great ways to be more sustainable when decluttering! I will often repair or repurpose items & I’ve also sold some items & donated others.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      April 8, 2022 at 9:55 am

      I agree! x

      Reply
  27. Simona says

    April 4, 2022 at 5:55 pm

    I love repurposing everything I can, from jars to old t-shirts and anything in between! Everything can have a second life, so why just throw it out?

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      April 8, 2022 at 9:59 am

      Totally agree, I probably keep too much in that sense. But, you never know!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow Me

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome To My Blog <3

Hello!

Welcome to Enviroline Blog. I’m Caroline and I am currently in my second year at Bournemouth University studying Environmental Science.

On my blog, I share tips & tricks on how to be more sustainable in your everyday life.

A few facts about me:

  1. I have two cats
  2. I love musicals
  3. I’m a vegetarian
  4. My favourite colour is pink

 

Find out more here.

Ethical Influencers” style=

Recent Posts

  • My 2022 round-up
  • January wildlife to spot in the UK
  • UK seasonal fruit and vegetables in winter
  • Slug and Lettuce Bournemouth review

Subscribe to get sent my latest posts + monthly freebies!

This Month’s Freebie!

Follow Me On Instagram

…

Copyright © 2023 enviroline blog

Isla Theme by Code + Coconut