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Day 7 of the 7 Day Organising Challenge

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Welcome to Day 7 of the 7 Day Organising Challenge.

If you’re just joining us… you’re my kind of person. You heard the champagne corks popping yesterday and came running! Please feel free to join us in a glass, although it may taste better if you keep scrolling and complete Days 1-6 of our Challenge. Plus, you’ll have MORE room for champagne somewhere in your house. Winning!

If you’ve been with me since the start, you’re my hero. So far you’ve completed the following to transform an area of your home:

Day 1 – Chosen one area to declutter & organise

Day 2 – Created a vision for the space

Day 3 – Decluttered

Day 4 – Organised

Day 5 – Contained & Styled

Day 6 – Labelled

And now,

Step 7.

Maintain. I can almost hear the audible groans from here. Yes, it’s true. Organising is not a once in a life time event. Sorry folks. But the good news is, you now have the structure in place that should make maintaining the space much easier.

Before we move on too quickly, I want to remind you of the pile of stuff you said you were going to sell back on Day 3. Now is the day to make a start on this or admit you’re kidding yourself, as well as actually carrying out the delivery of items you bagged up to be donated.

Top Tip: Depending on what you have to donate and where you live, you may be able to call a local charity and arrange for a free collection. Check out the Resources page on my website for lots of sustainable ways to move on your unwanted stuff.

Now, when it comes to maintaining your space more generally, you need to allow time to maintain your home and keep it organised. Sounds basic but BASICALLY NO ONE DOES  IT. You don’t necessarily need huge blocks of time but you will if you neglect if for too long.

  • For the smaller, day to day tasks, a little done frequently is best. Just like it takes time to maintain a garden, or do the housework, so too for staying organised
  • Consider scheduling the bigger tasks. How often do they need to be done to stay manageable & how long will it take? Then make an appointment with yourself in the calendar to get it done. If you use an electronic calendar, make it a recurring appointment
  • Enlist the people you live with to help you. At the very least, show them what the purpose of the area is, and tell them what does and doesn’t go there

Some organising principles that you might find helpful for maintaining your home include:

  • Don’t put it down, put it away
  • Never leave a room empty handed. Always take something with you and put it away
  • Establish a permanent “out” box where you can place items you no longer want. Drop it off to your local charity store when it gets full
  • Remember the One In, One Out rule. If you come home with a new shopping haul, what can you let go of to make space?
  • Say “no thanks” to freebies
  • Put a No Junk Mail sign on your letterbox
  • Stop shopping for stuff you don’t need
  • Go paperless wherever possible
  • Create destinations for everything that is staying

So that’s it! Congratulations on getting sorted. Are you off to tackle a new area or will you take a break for now?

Whatever you decide, enjoy your new found space and time.

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A label maker, a bottle of Champagne and one of those annoyingly organised people walk into a bar…

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Have you heard that one? Welcome to Day 6 of my 7 Day Organising Challenge. You gonna LUVVVVE today’s step(s).

If you’re just joining us… hooray! We’re so glad you made it. Keep scrolling to read the tasks for the previous Challenge Days in the posts below which outline the path we’ve followed to get here:

Day 1 – Choose one area to declutter & organise over the next 7 days

Day 2 – Create a vision for how you want that space to be

Day 3 – Declutter

Day 4 – Organise

Day 5 – Containerise & Style

Today we’re up to

Step 6.

Labelling. Depending on the area you’ve been working in, you may or may not require labels. The reason I’ve given this process a whole day to itself is because very few people I work with get to this point on their own and some areas REALLY need it. So if that’s true for you, read on! If not, you may want to read on anyway because… CHAMPAGNE.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

So, if for instance, if you’ve been working on your underwear drawer this week, you’re probably good to go. But if you’ve been dealing with paperwork, your pantry, digital files or a myriad of other areas, it really is worth taking the time to label things properly.

First, decide whether you need to label.

Second, decide the best way to label. Would a printed label on the top edge of a drawer work for discreet labelling? Or would you prefer hand written labels that are quick and easy to add to moving forward? Or maybe your pantry would look fabulous with customised labels from that online Etsy shop you’ve been stalking?

There are lots of options, none of them wrong. The main thing is you do the labelling.

Top Tip: When sorting offices, I find it helpful to use a pencil and paper to give my proposed categories and labels a trial run. You can play around until you’ve gotten it working like a well-oiled machine, and then switch to more permanent, robust or designer labels.

Try to keep things simple. Don’t overthink, oversort or overcategorise your stuff… you just create more work for yourself and ain’t no-one got time for that! When it comes to categorising and labelling, it’s best to channel your inner Goldilocks and settle on a label that is just right.

A label that is too general is meaningless. A label that is so specific that you need thousands of them is equally pointless. For example, a tab inside a folder labelled “Miscellaneous” might as well be no tab at all. Likewise, having labels so specific (e.g. Jane’s Birth Certificate) that you need 1,783 of them in a folder to cover the variety of items you’re storing there is also not advised.

Once the last label is applied, I want you to take a moment. Step back and take in your handy work. Celebrate your newly tamed and beautified space and don’t forget to take the AFTER photo and compare it with the BEFORE photos you took on Day 1. (This is where the champagne comes in, if you’re wondering).

So, if you were able to skip this step, lucky you. If you weren’t, let me know how you get on. When people call me, it’s often at this point where they get in over their heads and simply can’t decide on what system they need to organise things most efficiently. Having a Professional Organiser to help set this up in the first place and show you how to do it in the process is something they have found to be often life changing, and money well spent. And I offer both virtual and in-person appointments, so it doesn’t matter where you live.

Now you may also be wondering what Step 7 could be if we’ve already celebrated on Day 6. Make sure you come back tomorrow to discover what our last Day of the Challenge entails.

Enjoy your glass of bubbles!

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Day 5 – Unleash your creative beast!

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Boy am I glad to see you. Today is a good, fun day. You’ll see why soon.

But first, if you’re just starting your challenge today, no problem! Keep scrolling to read the tasks for the previous Challenge Days in the posts below which outline the path we’ve followed to get here:

Day 1 – Choose one area to declutter & organise over the next 7 days

Day 2 – Create a vision for how you want that space to be

Day 3 – Declutter

Day 4 – Organise

Today though, we’re up to

Step 5.

Contain & style.

Yesterday the aim was to make the space practical and functional using whatever you already had around the house. Today is about taking your space to the next level; to make the most of your space, make it sparkle and inject your personality. Afterall, a space you love and are proud of is way more motivating to maintain than your secret (or not so secret) dumping ground.

So, whilst it’s completely fine to skip this step, it’s no fun if you do. I encourage you to be as creative as possible and utilise what you already have in the house. You may need or want to hit the shops and that’s fine, but this step doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. It’s AMAZING what you already have that can be used in new, different and unexpected ways to solve a storage problem.

Some of the things you may want to tackle today include:

  • Ensuring you are utilising the space well. A classic example is wasted space in cupboards when there aren’t enough shelves. In this situation, you might ask yourself:
    • Can you put in more shelves?
    • Can you put items in stackable boxes to make the most of the height?
    • Can the cupboards be easily remodelled?
    • Would the space actually be better off storing something else altogether?
    • Could some portable shelf inserts or steps help?
    • What about hooks?
  • Ensuring the items you are storing are needed, easy to access and more importantly, easy to put away by everyone, not just you
  • Considering what organising tools might help you to maintain this space more easily. Perhaps smaller boxes inside a drawer to create separate sections, for example. Or open boxes or trays that can be used to store a group of items that can be pulled out when in use, and quickly put away again when you’re done. Hooks, racks, folders… I’m sure I don’t have to tell any of you where to go for organising inspiration!
  • Remembering how you wanted the space to look way back on Day 2, when you were creating your vision and making sure you’re on brief. Would some matching storage help to elevate the space? Probably doesn’t matter so much inside a drawer but makes the world of difference on an open shelf.
  • Have fun with it! A splash of colour or well-chosen design can really change the feel of a space and add to the vibe you’re trying to create, often in a much cheaper way than, say, furniture or art. Investing in matching storage can take a space from practical to practically perfect whilst also helping to streamline sizes, making a space more flexible and easier to maintain.

An important thing to remember as you go through this process is that it often takes a couple of goes to find the best solution for a space. Be ok with trying something for a while and changing it up again if it’s not working well.

Enjoy the creative process!

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7 rules for organising your stuff

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Well look at you… you’re nearly half way there!

If you’re just starting the 7 Day Organising Challenge today, no problem. Keep scrolling to read the previous days’ posts in full below.

Day 1 – Choose one area to declutter & organise over the next 7 days

Day 2 – Create a vision for how you want that space to be

Day 3 – Declutter

For the rest of us, it’s time for…

Step 4.

Organise.

Top Tip: Hold off on any urge you may have to go out and buy storage solutions at this stage. In most cases, you’re much better to start the organising process using what you already have. Trust me! By the end of the process, you’ll be able to see exactly what you need, how many and in what colour. At the moment, it’s really just a guessing game.

Now, the organising process will be different for each of us depending on what we’re organising. But regardless of whether you’re working in your garage or in a wardrobe, a cupboard or your digital files, there are a few organising principles that will steer you in the right direction. Here are 7 of the best:

  1. Everything needs a home, or it will become clutter
  2. Store like items together rather than having them dotted around in various locations
  3. Keep things as close as possible to where they are used, wherever practical
  4. Put your most frequently used items front and centre, with lesser used items up higher, down lower or towards the harder-to-reach backs of cupboards
  5. It’s usually best to store items wherever your first instinct is to put them, because that’s inevitably the place you’ll look for it later
  6. Utilise vertical space wherever possible, be that walls, peg boards or simply a magazine box to reduce horizontal piles on a flat surface
  7. Set limits. It’s often when you’re putting the items you want to keep away, that you realise you’ve still got way more stuff that you need, want or can maintain. A lot of the people I work with find it helpful to look at the space available and decide how much of it is worth dedicating to a particular category of item. Because at the end of the day, the hard truth is, you can either have the stuff or the space, not both

Remember to refer back to the answers you came up with on Day 2 as you go about reorganising the space. There’s no point creating a system that you’ve tried before and you already know doesn’t work for you.

Likewise, you need to organise the space in a way that anyone who is likely to be using it is going to be able to both find what they need and put it away again without needing to bug you about it each time.

Once you finish organising the space, you’ve done the hard yards. The next few days will be much easier, I promise! Having said that, it’s often about this stage in the process when people realise they need help, so if that’s you, send me a message or your questions and let’s chat.

You can totally do this! See you tomorrow.

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Day 3 of the 7 Day Organising Challenge = DECLUTTER

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Woot!! You’ve made it to the fun part… Day 3 is Decluttering Day.

If you’re just joining us, here’s a summary of where we are up to so far:

Day 1 – Choose one area to declutter & organise over the next 7 days

Day 2 – Create a vision for how you want that space to be

If you’re in catch-up mode… Welcome! It’s never too late to start decluttering. You can read the previous days’ posts in full below. Just keep scrollin’ or use the links above.

For the rest of us, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get stuck into today’s step.

Step 3.

Declutter. It’s important to declutter before you organise so you know the volume and type of items you’ll be needing to find homes for. Make sure you have some tubs or baskets at hand to help contain each item as you determine its new destination.

TOP TIP: It’s best to plant yourself in the room and focus just on the task of deciding about each item, rather than wandering from room to room putting things away as you go.

Pick up one item at a time, decide whether to “Keep”, “Donate” or “Discard” it and pop it in the designated container. Or if you’re an overachiever like me, you may like a few more categories to reduce having to re-sort items later on, such as:

  • “Move” (i.e. it needs to stay but not in this space)
  • “Sell” (but be very picky and realistic about what goes in here)
  • “Recycle” (kerbside)
  • “Redcycle” (soft plastics)
  • “Shred”
  • “Landfill”

You may also have a variety of destinations in mind for your donatable items in which case it’s good to separate them into their own boxes or bags as you go for easy distribution later on. If you need some help on where you can take the various items you’ve decided to pass on, check out the Resources Page on my blog.

You may notice I don’t have an “I’m not sure/maybe/let me think about it pile”.

That is deliberate.

They are illegal.

You’ll thank me later.

In all seriousness though, if you’re debating over whether an item should stay or go, this is the time to revisit the answers to your questions from Day 2. If the item in your hand adds to the Vision you have for the space, it can stay. If it detracts from the Vision, move it on.

Keep going with your sorting & decluttering until either:

  • You’ve finished
  • Your “Move” container is full
  • You’ve been going for a while and would benefit from a short break

Grab your “Move” container and drop off the items requiring re-homing to their proper rooms before returning to restart the sorting & decluttering process with an empty container.

Repeat this process until the job’s done, then:

  • Give the area a good clean
  • Bag up the items leaving your home and wherever possible load them straight into your car so they’re one step closer to gone
  • Choose a reasonable deadline for completing any selling activities and dropping off donations and add it to your diary or calendar to help keep you accountable
  • Stand back and admire your work!

That completes Day 3 of the 7 Day Organising Challenge. Well done you! Now, go and put your feet up because tomorrow, we Organise!

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Ready? It’s Day 2 of my 7 Day Organising Challenge

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Welcome to Day 2 of my 7 day Organising Challenge. If you missed Day 1, don’t worry. It’s definitely not too late to join the party. It will only take you about 2 minutes to catch up here.

If you’re up to date, well done! You’ll be happy to hear Day 2 is another pretty quick and easy step but one that is very often overlooked. You may want to grab a pen & paper for this one…

Step 2.

Create a vision for the space. Now that you’ve chosen the area you’ll declutter & organise this week, it’s time to paint a picture of how you’d ideally like the space to look and function. This may be a quick and easy process if it’s just a drawer (e.g. neat, opens and closes easily and quick to find what I need) or a bit more challenging if it’s a whole room with multiple zones to consider. Either way, the questions below may help you to clarify what your organising objective is.

If a question isn’t relevant for your zone, just skip it.

  • What are your biggest frustrations about the area? Why did you choose it for this challenge?
  • What works well about the current set up?
  • What, if anything, have you already tried in terms of organising it? Why do you think it didn’t work/last?
  • Does the area have a clear purpose?
  • How would you ideally like the area to feel when you first see it and work when you’re using it?
  • Does the area have any safety considerations you need to consider?
  • Does anything need fixing or altering to make the space more user friendly?
  • Who needs to access items here and possibly help maintain it moving forward?
  • Are you trying to store more stuff here than you have space for?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you should have a clearer picture of what the space needs to be able to do for you once it’s properly organised and where the best place to start might be, particularly if you’ve chosen a large room with various zones.

You should also have a better idea of how long it might take you to whip it back into shape, so the final step for today is to block out some time in your diary over the next two days for the fun stuff… decluttering & organising it! The next two days are probably where you’ll need the most time for our week-long challenge. Oh and don’t lose your answers to the questions you’ve answered today as we’ll refer back to them over the coming days.

If you’re having trouble with this step, feel free to message me for some advice or post your question on my Facebook Page and I’ll be happy to help you out.

Tomorrow, we declutter. Make sure you have some basic organising tools handy to deal with sorting, temporarily storing, donating and disposing of items, such as tubs, containers, garbage bags, boxes or anything else you’ll require for the particular zone you’re working on. Please don’t go out and buy anything at this stage… you should be able to use whatever you already have around the house for now. Think washing baskets, hampers, buckets, baskets, old cardboard boxes, reusable shopping bags and the like.

Well done on completing Day 2. See you tomorrow!

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Join my 7 day organising challenge and transform one area of your home this week (even if you have little or no time)

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Happy National Organising Week!

This week I’m going to help you organise one trouble spot in your home, even if you have very little time.

Each day for the next 7 days, I’ll walk you through one step of the process. I promise, that if you play along, you’ll be enjoying a more organised space by the end of the week.

STEP 1

Pick a zone. Take a look around your home and choose one area, zone, drawer, shelf, corner or room that needs decluttering and organising and commit to work in that one area only.

Be realistic with your time. Take a quick look at your diary or calendar for the week and make sure you are being realistic with your time. Can you complete an area that size given your other commitments this week or should you hone in on a smaller area? You may not be able to transform your whole kitchen this week, but perhaps your can make improvements in one cupboard or the pantry.

Take a “before” photo. Once you’ve decided which area you’ll focus on, take a few photos without tidying up at all. Capture the space in its natural state. You don’t have to show anyone but I promise you’ll love seeing the transformation at the end of the week.

That’s it for Day 1!

So… are you in? If so, I’d love to hear what area you chose.

Chat tomorrow!

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What’s in your garage?

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Welcome to Day 7 of little miss sorted’s 7 Day Sustainable Declutter Challenge:

Garage Clutter

The garage is often home for everything but your car. Car parts, boxes that haven’t been unpacked from 2 house moves ago, all the things you’re “definitely” going to repair, craft supplies you will use one day but can’t fit in your house at the moment, baby gear “just in case”, tax papers from fifteen years ago that you’ll sort out one day and all the amazing art your children have brought home since they were 4. And sometimes there’s even some junk that’s actually been earmarked to go but hasn’t quite made it out the door yet… It all makes for a cluttered mess and when the time comes to turf it, a serious health and environmental hazard if not disposed properly.

The World Health Organisation say that stockpiles of waste tyres sent to countries like Vietnam has caused the spread of Dengue Fever and other mosquito borne diseases by providing a perfect breeding ground. But recycled, they are useful for making sporting & playground surfaces, brake pads, insulation and constructing roads and drains among other things.

Another big problem is batteries. Australia has one of the lowest battery recycling rates in the world. Each year, over 300 million household batteries are thrown away with ordinary waste, meaning a staggering 8,000 tonnes of batteries end up in landfill. Batteries leech toxic metals into the ground which contaminates our soil and finds its way into our water systems.

Top Tips to sustainably declutter the garage

  • Hazardous waste should never go into landfill. Check out this blog post for destinations for most types of rubbish including making use of your council hard rubbish collection service which is often your best friend when it comes to cleaning out a garage
  • Determine what is of no use to you, and what is of no use to anyone. Donate the former and ensure the latter is sent to its proper destination. The RecycleNearYou website is a great resource
  • Anything sentimental or of value should never be stored in the garage, where temperatures can vary wildly. If it’s important, it deserves a place in your house

Top Tips to organise the garage

  • Create zones for the different types of things you keep in your garage, such as tools, gardening equipment, car paraphernalia, sports gear, outdoor living and the like. Store like things together and ensure small items are contained
  • Keep the floor clear as much as possible by utilising vertical space. Shelving along a wall, hooks, brackets and even rafters are important to make the most of this space whilst still being able to park your car here
  • Create a dedicated area for items that are ready to be donated or disposed of. Don’t make it too big. That way, when it is full, you are reminded to empty it (regularly) in order to make more space

Environmentally friendly resources when decluttering the garage:

ITEM

DESTINATION
Chemicals, paint, batteries, fluros, etc Detox your home collects items throughout the year at various locations. Use this link to find a date, time and location near you and to see what they accept

Battery World accepts all types of batteries

Aldi accepts household batteries  (AA, AAA, C, D and 9V sizes)
Sports/Playground equipment Progress Pikinini donates suitable items to children and schools in need in Vanuatu
Furniture suitable for a classroom such as desks, large tables and chairs Progress Pikinini
Old tyres Tyrecycle is one company recycling used car tyres. Check the list of participating retailers on their website to ensure the place you get your tyres changed is committed to recycling them, or if they’re not on the list, ask them before you book in.
Bicycles Bicycles for Humanity
Cars Kids Under Cover
Tents & Swags Rumbalara
Everything else 1800-got-junk? is a handy resource for your back pocket. They will remove your unwanted item (whatever it is and from wherever it is) and take it away. They divert as much as possible from landfill and you pay based on the amount of truck space you use. Considering it includes two men with lifting power this is often a very good solution when you just don’t know what to do with your unwanted stuff or can’t move something yourself

These resources and more will be added to the little miss sorted Resources page on the website. We are constantly updating our Resources Lists so check back regularly.

Today is the last day of National Organising Week and our week-long sustainable decluttering challenge. Congratulations on making it to the end and I hope you’ve learnt something new and got a little closer to finding your Organised Sweet Spot.

Getting organised is not a one-time event. It’s a life long journey that requires your ongoing commitment and prioritisation, much like you health and garden. At the end of the day, its a choice between the stuff or the space. There is no right or wrong choice, but it is important to acknowledge you can only have one or the other and to work out what the right balance is for you.

If you want to maintain momentum on your decluttering journey and would like one-on-one help with sorting your space, please call or email me for an obligation free chat. There is no pressure to take any action right now, but it is always empowering to know your options for when you are ready. I can do in-person consultations in Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and West Gippsland. I also have a brilliant & trusted colleague based in the Gold Coast for our Northern Friends in Brisbane, Northern NSW or anywhere in between. So whenever you are ready for more time and space, we are ready & waiting.

Happy Sustainable Decluttering! The planet thanks you.

Let’s Talk Trash

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NOW 2018 imageWelcome to Day 1 of little miss sorted’s 7 Day Sustainable Declutter Challenge

When it comes time to declutter, many people default to sorting items into 3 piles: Keep, Donate or Toss. Whilst it’s a starting point and a good way to conceptualise the task at hand (especially if already feeling overwhelmed by stuff) the majority of the time I personally don’t find 3 categories to be enough if you want to declutter sustainably.

One thing I know for sure is that if you put down a big tub lined with a garbage bag and start putting everything in it that isn’t being kept or donated, the contents will end up in landfill. No-one is going back and sorting that rubbish bag out. No-one. So the key for me when it comes to sustainable decluttering is to sort items properly in the first place.

Depending on the space you are decluttering, think about the following categories for more sustainable sorting (I find large open tubs of different colours or labelled boxes work great for this):

  • Stay (in this room)
  • Redistribute (to another family member/room/place)
  • Sell
  • Donate
  • Recycle (kerbside)
  • REDcycle
  • Compost
  • Shred
  • Landfill

So hopefully now you are starting to see why the simple “Keep, Donate & Toss” system isn’t that useful for sustainable decluttering.

If you’re interested to know more, go grab yourself a beverage of choice (this isn’t a brief post) and allow me to share a few of my sustainable “Donate & Toss” tips and resources.

Because if we get this right, we can have a really positive impact on our environment.

 

  1. Donate

I personally love this option for unwanted goods that still have life left in them. It helps to ensure items get to the people who really need and want them whilst generating income for charities who support some of our most vulnerable citizens. It also means you don’t end up imposing your unwanted clutter on an often reluctant recipient (who probably doesn’t want it either but is too polite to say and who probably also struggles to find somewhere to stash it).

However, when it comes to donating, we have a responsibility to do so mindfully and respectfully or quite frankly, we don’t deserve the feel-good fuzzies that come from being charitable.

Charities spend millions of dollars every year disposing of unusable items that have been dumped on them. If you can’t use it, neither can a charity.

Top Tips for Sustainable Donating:

  • Only donate during opening hours or into a designated collection bin. The little miss sorted Resource page also lists charities who offer a collection service
  • Check the guidelines for what the charity will accept before you donate as the rules differ. Some don’t take electrical items, soft toys or certain baby items, for example.
  • Only donate what you would be happy to use for your own family
  • Some clothing, whilst not being suitable to be worn again, may be an acceptable donation for rags. Check out these general guidelines and ensure the charity you take them to accepts this type of donation as many don’t

 

  1. Recycle (Council/Kerbside)

This seems straight forward but apparently 11% of people think used disposable nappies are recyclable. I mean, really? And don’t imagine there’s some magical fairy fixing your recycling sins at the other end. There isn’t. Contaminated recycling goes to landfill.

The top 3 mistakes people make when recycling are:

  1. Putting plastic bags into recycling. 9 out of 10 councils reported this was the main problem. A good rule of thumb we use in our house is if the plastic changes shape when filled with water, it can’t go into council recycling
  2. Putting recyclable items into the normal bin. Nearly half the councils reported this problem which is a real missed opportunity and sees unnecessary space taken up in landfill
  3. Food contamination. Grease and oil affects the paper pulping process, a problem for a quarter of councils

It doesn’t help that every local council has their own rules on what you can put in your recycling bin but we can’t use that as an excuse. Take 10 minutes to look-up the waste services section on your local council’s website and familiarise yourself with the rules for where you live.

Top Tips for Sustainable Recycling:

 

  1. REDcycle

This is a game changer in my opinion. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard about this until recently. RED Group, a Melbourne-based consulting and recycling organisation, has developed and implemented the REDcycle Program; a recovery initiative for post-consumer soft plastic. RED Group has teamed up with Coles & Woolworths to make it easy for you to keep your plastic bags and soft plastic packaging out of landfill. Think plastic food wrapping, shopping bags, bread bags and cereal box liners.

One business doing this well is The Garden. Well worth checking out their system in the reception area if you live local to Frankston, Victoria.

Top Tips for Sustainable REDcycling:

  • Check out what can be REDcycled – do the scrunch test!
  • Set-up a permanent box or bag for your REDcycling at home and print off this list so you know what goes in
  • Set it up at work, your local kinder, childcare centres, schools and universities and spread the word!

 

  1. Compost

This is so easy, we should all be doing it. Even if you live in an apartment you can invest in a composting system that works under the bench. It doesn’t smell… promise!

So why isn’t this more widely practiced? I think people either don’t know how to do it or get complacent about it because they think food and other things you can compost is organic/living matter and therefore it breaks down easily so what does it matter if it goes to landfill? But that is the very issue. When food scraps are sent to landfill, they decompose without oxygen (anaerobically) to produce methane, a greenhouse gas with
over 20 times the global warming capacity of carbon dioxide. Decomposing food scraps are also a potential source of leachates (liquid that drains from landfills) that can contaminate surface and ground water.

If food scraps are composted, the organic matter and nutrients they contain can be reused as fertiliser. Properly composted food scraps are a valuable resource. In some commercial composters, methane and other biogases can also be captured and used to generate electricity. Read more about the impact of methane released into the atmosphere from food scraps here.

Top Tips for Sustainable Composting:

  • Make sure you have your own compost bin, compost heap, worm farm or Bokashi bucket to do your bit at home
  • Composting is not just for food scraps. In fact it requires a combination of wet and dry material to really thrive. Take your open mind over to this article and educate yourself!
  • Even if you don’t have a garden, your local community garden is unlikely to turn your delicious compost away if you do it right. Alternatively you could raise it as an item for your body corporate to consider providing for your block of residents

 

  1. Shred

Anything you wouldn’t want printed on the internet should probably be shredded and not just recycled. However, if you think your life’s too boring for anyone to bother stealing your paperwork, or you like living on the edge, at the very least shred personal and financial information that is tempting to thieves. If you have a large backlog of paper to shred or you seem to generate a lot, it’s worth having a secure document company come and shred it for you. This can be done on site in front of you, at their location with a certificate of destruction issued at the end or a bin (much like your recycling bin) can be delivered to your door for later collection. This can be lockable – just make sure you request it, if that’s what you want.

Top Tips for Sustainable Shredding:

  • Invest in a shredder. One that cross-cuts is ideal
  • Ideally shred as you go – don’t make a huge job for yourself by saving it all up to do “one day”
  • Put your shredded paper into your compost bin or worm farm. The worms will love it and potential identity thieves will give up and go next door

 

  1. Landfill

Okay, so hopefully now we have very little left in our “Toss” pile because we’re utilising all the other options first. There’s really not much more you can do to avoid some items going into landfill if you’re utilising the other options mentioned above first, except for being more mindful during the acquiring process and ensuring you aren’t disposing of harmful items in your rubbish. A big culprit here is household batteries. These should never be put into the rubbish bin as they leach dangerous metals into the ground. Battery World Stores accept all types of batteries for safe disposal and ALDI supermarkets accept household batteries.

Top Tips for Rubbish Disposal:

  • Keep a small child-proof container somewhere safe from little people and store up your used batteries. Then simply take them with you when you know you’ll be nearby to a drop-off point. I find writing a little reminder on my shopping list to be a great way to systemise this when the container is ready to be emptied.
  • Dispose of harmful items in the appropriate way. See this great website for more information
  • Wherever possible, avoid buying items with lots of plastic/excess packaging that you can see will end up at the tip
  • Utilise your council’s resources such as recycling centres and hard rubbish collections. Most offer at least one free collection each year. Some are on set dates, others you need to call and request a pick-up.

 

All these resources and more can be found on the little miss sorted Resources page on the website. We are constantly updating our Resources Lists so check back regularly.

Tomorrow we tackle the kitchen so look out for lots of hints, tips and resources and remember you can drop your unwanted items from the list mentioned in my post on Sunday to me any day during National Organising Week. Tomorrow you will find me here:

Pinewood Nursery (Carpark)
478 Blackburn Rd, Glen Waverley
3:15-3:45pm

I’d love to know if you’d heard of REDcycling before now and if you participate or if we’ve been living under the same rock! Leave me a comment.

Happy Sustainable Decluttering! The planet thanks you.

Can you take a hint? Ready, Set…

2 Comments / Events, National Organising Week / By

NOW 2018 image

Today is Clean Up Australia Day. Tomorrow is the start of National Organising Week.

I think the Universe is trying to tell us something.

And when she talks, we should listen. So here’s what’s happening… Each day for the next 7 days I’ll be popping up at a different location somewhere in the South-Eastern suburbs of Melbourne to take your unwanted clutter* off your hands and sustainably dispose of it on your behalf at absolutely no cost to you. That’s right, totally FREE.

Don’t live in Melbourne or can’t get to me? Don’t worry. I’ll also be providing lots of resources for future reference of organisations locally, nationally and sometimes even globally that will accept your excess clutter and keep it out of landfill.

Not sure where to start? No problem, I’ve got it sorted. Each day I’ll be posting some helpful tips on how to declutter a different zone of your home so we can work through it methodically and without getting overwhelmed. It’s just for 1 week… I know you can do it!

So really, what have you got to lose, except some clutter? I’m making myself available all week to answer your organising questions, help you get sorted and encourage you to find your Organised Sweet Spot and live life there. So please join in the daily challenges and help others you know who might also benefit from some free Professional Organising advice by sharing this post and the upcoming daily blogs with them.

I’d love to hear about your progress, see your before and after photos and meet you (and your clutter) at the various locations listed below. (Click here to see who you’re looking for!) If you do join in, by the end of the week I promise you will have more space and a clean conscience to boot.

*Items I will be accepting are:

Expired medicines
Unopened toiletries including hotel-sizes
Clean towels and blankets
Household batteries
Plastic shopping bags
Unused nappies (opened packets & no packets are also acceptable)
Unwanted craft items
Kids’ books in good condition
Non-perishable pantry items (in date)
Magazines
Old reading glasses
Used stamps
Old mobile phones & their accessories
Ink cartridges
Bras
Women’s corporate clothing & accessories
Handbags

So have a think about the space invaders in your house and start gathering them in an “OUT” bag near the door. And yes, that includes all the stuff you’ve been meaning to sell for the last 3 years and haven’t.

Take a look at my schedule below and decide where you can meet me and stay tuned throughout this week to find out where your items will be going!

  • Please note – I can only accept normal household quantities & any sorting you can do to keep categories of items separate & contained would be much appreciated.
  • I will provide additional resources and information on my website on how you can dispose of items not listed above.

Where to find me – this week only:

Mon 5th March
(Outside) Seaford Kindergym 
3/10 Rutherford Rd, Seaford
11:45-12:30pm
Tue 6th March
Pinewood Nursery (Carpark)
478 Blackburn Rd, Glen Waverley
3:15-3:45pm
Wed 7th March
Doncaster Officeworks (Carpark)
602-630 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster
1:30-2pm
Thu 8th March
Mums Supporting Families In Need (Warehouse)
2/7 Sir Laurence Drive, Seaford
12-1pm
 Fri 9th March
The Garden – Frankston (Reception)
4 Ross Smith Ave W, Frankston
11-11:30am
Sat 10th March
IKEA Springvale (Near Entrance)
917 Princes Hwy, Springvale
CANCELLED
Sun 11th March
Sandbox Café – Sandhurst Golf Club
75 Sandhurst Blvd, Sandhurst
10-11am
  • Please note: Sometimes unexpected things happen. Keep an eye on my website & Facebook page in the unlikely event I need to make a last minute update to times and locations.

View the above locations on Google Maps

In the meantime, if you’re ready to get started N.O.W. why don’t you head on over to the Clean Up Australia Day website and find a site near you where you can pitch in to help clean up. Or if you can’t attend, perhaps you’d consider making a donation here. I was surprised to learn that Clean Up Australia does not receive government funding and relies on private and corporate donations to keep their campaigns running and to provide supplies like gloves, tools and rubbish bags for volunteers. All donations above $2 are tax deductible for Australian taxpayers.

Enjoy your Sunday and I’ll see you tomorrow for our first N.O.W. organising challenge!