Eco-styled Living helps Optimize Resources in your Home

 

By Cyndi Seidler

With all the clever techniques to living smarter, more organized lifestyles, it's time to go a step further and get organized with style -- eco-style, that is.

In viewing the principles of an eco-lifestyle, we're looking at several "R" factors:

• Reducing
• Reusing
• Recycling

Reducing. This is about reducing what we have, simplifying and streamlining our lifestyle to the "less is best" approach, and creating less waste.

For example, why buy an infrequently used steam-cleaner when you can rent one when you need it?  Why have clothes you don't wear?  Why have so many linens and home furnishings that your spaces are cramped and difficult to get into?

Letting go of things you don't need or use often is a method of clearing your environment of wasteful belongings and accumulations of stuff.

Reusing. When we get into reusing, we have more "R" factors involved:

• Restoring
• Refinishing
• Reupholstering

This is where people must change their buying habits. Often times when people get rid of things, they need or want to replace it with something else (like, a new piece of furniture that is more functional, for example).

Eco-style is about reused, recycled merchandise. Why buy a brand new coffee table when you can get an old one and refinish it? Why go out and get an expensive new sofa rather than a used one that can be reupholstered or covered?

In reusing, the alternative is to buy something used and do one of the 3 "R's" -- restore it, refinish it, or reupholster it (or even recover it, like a sofa slipcover).

This, of course, would not apply to everything, but can for a majority of items we want to purchase.

Some people just don't want to be bothered shopping around at second-hand shops or swap meets and, in this case, can always purchase new items that are made of reused or organic material.

So basically, when we refer to reusing, it simply suggests that we buy used, rather than new, or get eco-friendly, organic items that have come from recycled material.

Recycling.

In recycling, we're looking at both reducing and reusing:

• Reduce - giving unwanted items to charity or selling
• Reuse - buying used items or merchandise made from recycled materials.

Recycling is about preventing waste. This means we should consume and throw away less. That implies a variety of things, and here are some ways to stop waste:

• Use a cloth towels instead of paper towels 
• Use cloth or paper bags
• Consider reusable containers instead of disposable storage containers
• Use empty jars for leftover foods.
• Get rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries
• Donate old magazines, books, electronics, or surplus equipment
• Donate unused clothes, home furnishings, and household items
• Turn discarded copy paper into scrap note paper

If we practice purchasing and using materials in ways that reduce waste, we will be protecting our environment.  And, the most effective way to stop the trend of waste is by preventing waste in the first place.

Also see article: Eco-organized™ Homes Lead to a Healthy Environment

Cyndi Seidler is an author, columnist, and professional organizer, spearheading the "eco-style" movement and principles of eco-organizing™ in the organizing industry. She provides tips, commentaries and news at Cyndi's Blog and the Get Organized Blog.

Copyright © 2005 Cyndi Seidler.  All Rights Reserved.

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