2020 - banish the clutter

ailz95

Has anyone else wathed the You Tube video The Story of Stuff - or read the book.  It's been a game changer for me.  Going vegan was all about conservation for me.  Animal agriculture is very wasteful - and the way the animals are treated - don't get me started!

I started following the 5 rs first - Refuse (a bag, flyer etc.) Reduce (don't buy unless you're really, really sure), Re-use (buy 2nd hand where possible), Re-purpose (like re-use - but also things like clothing swaps, re-using takaway plastic cartons and lids rather than throwing them away), Recycle - last because of the harm it does.  Then I heard of The Story of Stuff and as I didn't want to buy a physical book I watched the 20 minute documentary.  For every 1lb of waste that we produce there have already been 7 lbs produced in finding resources, mining (oil, silver, tin etc.,) refining, manufacturing, shipping - probably more than once, and it's probably been packaged multiple times.  It's based on the US but I don't think we're so different.  It was also made in 2009 and you can see from it how far we haven't come in that time - it's just getting worse.

The zrto-waste movement was set up for companies to reduce their waste, but they just pushed it onto the consumer.  Also many companies go in  for 'greenwashing' - getting a small part of a product sustainably, or able to be recycled, and then behaving as though it all is and they're going to save the earth.  There are only 10 main companies - they just own all the others - like Ecover is now Johnson & Johnson so I doubt that they'll be very environmentally sound for much longer.

Sorry rant over.

We're slowly getting back into de-cluttering - but I'm not going into any shops, high streets etc. just yet.  I go to the farm shop once a week and that's enough for me - it also stops me from buying anything except food, although we keep on having little treats from there.  The fox/corvids are enjoying our, wasteful, cats' food each night.  Though Marlowe (big daft and ginger) is inclined to eat his food if we put it outside for something else lol.

Keep safe everyone

TC77

aliz95 - I so agree. I've been vegetarian for nearly 40 years! and still learning about other areas. I will watch.  I think I  read here about someone freezing left overs in margarine tub so trying to reuse things more.  I've been needing to buy some new bowls but  now using my large glass collection for everyday purposes so tomatoes/ cherries etc now all in v pretty bowls which makes healthy food more appetising. Also went through my clothes and realised how many I like (just a little small - not overweight but overfat - apparently a real term for those of us who are ' 'healthy weight' but clearly not healthy round the middle - think a kid's drawing stick arms and legs and round middle

Hoping to join Andrew Mellon's 5 day unstuff your life online if anyone is interested.

half bag of out of date cement binned (offered to someone before I realised it has a use by date!

book sold on f/bay but miscalculated postage so make about 20p - so more going to charity in future

paper decluttering with paper with an unused side made into A5 sheets and put as a pad with a bulldog clip.

greent

Latest batch from me (definitely slowing down now)

1601 – 1602. 2 broken/ damaged plastic ‘igloos’ (for guinea pigs) – binned

1603. 1 virtually brand new igloo – CS

1604. 1 small pet carrier – CS

1605. 1 damaged large pet carrier – binned

1606. 1 old/ torn single duvet (used for covering cage from draughts in winter) – binned

1607 – 1608. 2 slightly bitten food bowls – binned

1609. hay rack – well used – binned

1610. metal garden run – given away

1611. indoor cage – recycled/ binned

1612 – 1615. Food bowls which are immaculate – CS

1616. cat litter tray (with chewed corners) used in hutch – binned

1617. broken takeaway tub – recycled

1618 – 1629. Various g- pig food/ treat/ new play items/ bedding – given to a friend

1630. cardboard box been in garage for a year – recycled

1631. cardboard box – used as ‘coffin’ for burial

1632 – 1633. 2 cotton teatowels used as ‘shroud’/ soft padding for burial

1634. old g-pig medication – binned, box recycled

1635. old bottle of hibiscrub – used up, bottle recycled

1636 – 1637. plastic bottles kept in cupboard & used for topping up g-pig water supplies – recycled

1638. pile of bags for reusing to take g-pig her veggies – binned

1639. some veggies which were bought just for g-pig – composted

1640. hutch – broken up (well used, no good for passing on)

1641. old handmade from cheap stuff ‘table’ on which hutch stood – broken up

1642. storage bin – given to my mum

1643. part bag of g-pig food – binned

1644 – 1645. 2 well-used/ cracked plastic buckets with lids (came with fat balls)  – binned

1646. feeding syringe – binned

1647. too-small school shirt – added to donation pile for school in September

1648. foam frisbee – damaged – binned

1649. some broken leg0 pieces – binned

1650. some too-small coathangers – binned

Slowing down here now over Summer hols:)

[Deleted User]

Old broken electric kettle put out for the binmen this morning along with the green bin full of weeds and clippings from the garden and a  full bin of kitchen waste taken to the compost heap.  Cardboard outers from the newly delivered book cases (which are put together and in place and just need shelves fitting) will be taken in the car to the cardboard bank in the village tomorrow.  Riverford veg box will be given back to the driver when he delivers tomorrow.

LameWolf

boazu said:

Old broken electric kettle put out for the binmen this morning

I didn't think electrical items were supposed to be put in the general rubbish? Certainly here there's a special point at the tip for disposing of dead kitchen appliances and such like. We also have a dead kettle to dispose of, it's sitting in the shed til we have enough stuff we can't just bung in the rubbish to warrant making an appointment to visit the tip.

winspiration

Thank you very much indeed for the seven stars, Mrs SD - it's good to get a boost in addition to the visible benefits of decluttering

Yesterday I emptied & moved a shelf unit from my office down to the garage, removed a couple of wall shelves and put the unit on top of two others already in place (secured to each other & the wall with cable ties) - which makes a tall unit of 27 cubbies. This was quite an easy win as it is by the door and not much junk to clear away in front of it. Next step is to organise and fill it with craft stuff, I have the boxes to fit the cubbies. I moved a trolley from another bedroom into my office to fill the gap (and create space where it came from). Also managed to chuck away some bits and pieces from the garage. When I look around at what is still to do in the garage, it's a bit overwhelming, just need to concentrate on doing it step by step and keep the overall end result in mind.

One of the local animal charities here is running an auction via Facebook this week to raise funds, so today I added 50 handmade cards in batches of 5. I had already put up some packs of yarn, cross stitch books (which I've concluded I don't like as a hobby, too fiddly for me) & some bits and bobs from the garage, so fingers crossed that will raise a bit of money as well as decluttering. I  learned the lesson from the last auction they ran to put reserves on for most items - last time I had added several packs of stuff that I sell via the business and some went for the opening bid of £1 which I wasn't best pleased about.

nannywindow

Recycled more cardboard packaging and the outer plastic bag binned ( I've had a new bread maker delivered  ) I don't understand why they used such a big plastic bag as it was large enough to bag me up and send me somewhere 

Also out a set of blackout curtain liners, very much past their sell by date.

Greent your items made me feel so sad to think that your pet has died, especially when I got to the "coffin" box

Hugs to all in need and happy decluttering.

nan

Pollybear

LameWolf said:

boazu said:

Old broken electric kettle put out for the binmen this morning

I didn't think electrical items were supposed to be put in the general rubbish? Certainly here there's a special point at the tip for disposing of dead kitchen appliances and such like. We also have a dead kettle to dispose of, it's sitting in the shed til we have enough stuff we can't just bung in the rubbish to warrant making an appointment to visit the tip.

In our area we can put small electrical items out with the recycling.  If it fits in the green crate, it can go out.  Must vary round the country I imagine.

Gem-gem

5 books to a cs
bag of books to another cs
4 books to a friend
H/g runner beans to a friend
H/m bottle of sloe gin to a friend
box recycled
bedding sheet to a dogs' kennel rspca
port bottle recycled
pimms bottle recycled
lemonade bottle recycled
unwanted mail and envelopes recycled
Two garden bushes trimmed - branches into garden recycling. Tomato plants thinned. 

bit_by_bit

Just back from down south visiting family in a socially distanced way. Missed the hugging but so good to see a nephew and his family, my brother and two sisters and their respective families.
We also took a box full of power tools and other useful bits for one sister, a bag crammed with art supplies for my SiL and a bag equally crammed with fabric from my stash for one of the nieces. The other nieces also got some small presents. I am counting this a three bags. Now at 44/52. I think I am going to increase my target to 100 bags for this year as I am approaching my original target.
My fabric cupboard creaked a sigh of relief as did I as this is now the start of the clear out and reorganisation of the craft room. 
Hugs nannywindow.    Keep well and take care.xx