April is here, which means it’s time to appreciate our favorite mother: Mother Earth. We at Easy Life Organizing believe that taking care of our planet does not have to involve grand gestures. If each of us practiced doing some little things every day to better our environment, it would equal a lot of things. This month we’re sharing with you eight eco-friendly ideas that Amanda incorporates into her household.
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1 . Repurposing Items
As a professional organizer, Amanda lives with lots of bins in her life. A lot of times these bins become damaged, broken, or lidless. Amanda’s husband, Travis, doesn’t view a discarded bin as trash. He views it as an opportunity to grow some plants!
2. Laundry Sheets
Instead of using bulky, leaky bottles of laundry detergent filled with artificial dyes, Amanda and her family started using these laundry sheets. Not only are they better for the environment, but they are easier to organize and take up less space (always a pro organizer’s priority!).
3. Recycling Station
Amanda has a basket set up in the corner of her kitchen to catch all the cardboard and plastic that is used on a daily basis. Once this area is overflowing, she takes it outside to the recycling bin.
4. Spice Drawer
Amanda lives in a very small house with a very small kitchen. She utilizes these skinny spice jars so they can all fit in a narrow drawer. When she needs to refill a spice, she takes the container to Horrocks, where she can buy spices in bulk. A store clerk weighs the container and then subtracts that amount of weight to determine the cost of the spice (which is much cheaper than purchasing unnecessary large jars).
5. Toothpaste Tablets
Amanda has discovered these tablets to replace tubes of toothpaste. You chew up two or three of them until they start to foam, and then you brush with a toothbrush. They use environmentally-friendly packaging, are convenient for traveling, are made from natural ingredients, and reduce the amount of messes left behind in the sink.
6. Donation Collection
Amanda is good about letting items in her house go that are no longer serving a purpose. This process is easier by creating a spot to collect these donations. Once this box is full, Amanda will take it on a donation run.
7. Clothing Recycling
The Easy Life Organizing team is not in favor of keeping clothing around that no longer looks or feels good. An easy way to reuse clothing that you no longer want is to request a clean-out bag from the upcycled clothing company Thread Up. You simply fill the bag with clothes and put it in the mail. They take these clothes and recycle them to be used again in new clothing. As a bonus, if you get the ones that are at the checkout of The Container Store you will get a container store gift card.
8. Wooden Shelving
A good way to give purpose to a slab of wood is to use it as a shelf. Amanda has crafted this one at her house to store supplies that need a home. This is another example of finding a use for materials that might otherwise end up in a landfill.
9. Electric Car
If you haven't seen Amanda's awesome car around town, you might not know that it's a full electric vehicle. While longer commutes suck sometimes with it, we really love that. We are using electricity for all of those miles that we drive in our huge service area.
10. Being Organized
The simple act of being organized is going to help you reduce the amount of times you have to buy multiples of the same thing. This is not only cheaper for you in the long run, but it also keeps you from throwing away a bunch of expired food or duplicates of items in the future.
Recap
As we wrap up our tour of Amanda's eco-friendly house, let's remember that sustainability doesn't have to be a daunting task. It's about embracing simple, everyday choices that collectively make a big impact. So, whether you're swapping out laundry bottles for laundry sheets or opting for reusable alternatives, know that every small action contributes to a healthier planet. Let us know what you do in your home to be more eco-friendly in the comments. Remember, every step, no matter how small, can make a great difference!