Five Tips for Avoiding Throw Away Culture
© Ben Neale
Throwing away your unwanted possessions is incredibly wasteful and detrimental to the environment, yet it’s actively encouraged by most leading influencers. Why exactly is this, when there are plenty of amazing alternatives which can help you to declutter your home without needing to toss anything away? Here are our top tips for avoiding ‘throw away culture’.
1.) Unnecessary Purchases
Let’s deal with the root cause of the problem first and foremost. Most people end up having to throw away loads of their belongings because they impulse buy things they don’t necessarily want or need. Think of the number of times you’ve been shopping and purchased an item simply because it was ‘good value for money’. This is what eventually results in you hoarding loads of possessions and needing to throw them away to declutter things. By exercising a little self-restraint and only purchasing items that you really love or need, you can cut down on waste. Our top tip for this is waiting to buy something you’ve seen in the shops. If you’re still thinking about that item further down the line, then it’s meant to be.
2.) Organisation
Decluttering your home isn’t always about throwing items away, but instead organising them correctly. For starters, rethink how your wardrobe is arranged. Adding shoe shelves can immediately make things look tidier and use less room. Hanging units that wrap around your clothes rail are also ideal because they create storage space which previously wasn’t there.
Moving on from your wardrobe, placing shelving units around your house is an excellent way to decorate the rooms and further organise things. For instance, look at bookshelves and television units. These can be dressed up with beautiful ornaments whilst also keeping everything neat and tidy.
3.) Storage Solutions
If you don’t have enough room in your home for shelving and cabinets, then storage units are also an amazing alternative to throwing items away. There are some brilliant companies out there which offer personal storage solutions at reasonable prices with flexible contracts. This means you can keep all your belongings whilst also freeing up some space in your home. Storage units are also ideal for parents who want to donate their old furniture to their children once they grow up but don’t have enough room in their home for all these furnishings. Check out this self storage price guide for help today.
4.) Charity Shops
Rather than taking your unwanted possessions to the dump, we implore you to donate them to charity shops instead. Millions of families can’t afford the basics like clothes and proper bedding. But with charity shops, they can finally purchase these essentials at a discounted price because they’re second hand.
And as the old saying goes, one man’s trash is another one’s treasure. It is also worth noting that donating to charity is better for the environment because it’s a form of reusing and recycling.
5.) Selling Up
It’s wasteful to spend money on something, only to throw it away a couple of months later. However, you could earn this income back by selling your belongings at a car boot sale or going online and using ecommerce platforms like Facebook marketplace. What’s not to love about decluttering your home whilst also earning some money along the way? Just don’t flog your possessions at higher prices than they’re worth because this won’t sit well with buyers.
These are our top tips for avoiding throw away culture.
