Earth Day Mentality, Every Day
Shifting mindset from “It’s a waste” to “Intentionality”
Guilt.
If you’ve ever felt guilty about unwanted items ending up in a landfill, you’re not alone. Many of my clients also share this fear.
As a result of this fear, an item is usually kept in an effort to:
Keep it out of the landfill
Feel better about the possibility of using it — maybe one day!
Feel better about the money spent on it
However, in most cases, the item continues to be disused, forgotten about, and ultimately becomes clutter — causing more inner stress, guilt, and frustration. Unfortunately, when your home has clutter like this, you’ve created your own personal landfill at home.
Compassion.
If you feel this, I invite you to grant yourself compassion. In all likelihood the item was purchased with perceived good intent, but it did not live up to expectation. Circumstances change, seasons change, YOU change…and this item may no longer align.
The cure for wastefulness, is not to save everything and turn your home into its own landfill. Instead, the cure is to commit to intentionality and to practice being an intentional consumer.
Feeling turmoil at home makes it harder to make lasting contributions to the world. If you want to be actionable in saving the Earth, consider that you will be able to have greater mind space, better decision-making, and be able to invest in larger, more impactful ways when you are at peace at home.
Let go.
While there may be fear of lost opportunities and money spent, consider the cost you are currently paying. The noise of visual clutter, the energy required to maintain / clean / organize, the physical space it takes up, and another “to do” item added to an already long-winding list.
Moreover, once the item was purchased and money spent — you are not getting the physical money back. But, what we can do, is let go of expectations and have gratitude for the lessons it taught. Maybe the $2 impulse buy of a plastic party good can serve as a reminder to check the buying impulses.
Cultivate Intentionality
Intentional consumerism is shifting from mindless purchasing to making conscious and informed choices about consumption. It involves carefully and mindfully making purchases and can include prioritizing quality and sustainability.
Actionable steps to shift your Earth Day Mentality to Every Day, while decluttering your home:
Donate your unwanted items to your local Buy Nothing Group or offer up for free on Facebook Marketplace
Gift items to your family and friends or organize a Sip & Swap Party!
Sell only select items (they must be worth your time and energy to put that effort into!). Use Reverse Google Image Search for a quick look at market pricing.
Donate your unwanted items to local charities or organizations that align with your values or are looking for specific items, like how Working Wardrobe, specifically specializes in career wardrobes
Get familiar with your local city’s hazardous waste collection site for items that we use frequently like batteries and light bulbs, and your local medicine kiosk that will take expired or unused medications. Setup a bin at home to collect these sorts of items for future recycling.
Create a designated “donation bin” in your home and once it’s filled, donate it
Sign up for Retold Recycling for textile recycling
Actionable steps to shift your Earth Day Mentality to Every Day, while shopping:
Ask the question: “What would an Intentional Consumer do?”
Consider the true lifecycle of this item in your lifestyle
Do you need to own this item? Can it be borrowed or rented?
Do you already own a similar item that fulfills the same function?
How often will you use or need this item?
Do you have physical space where you can give this item a home?
Do you really need it? Or is it an impulse or emotional purchase?
Shop for pre-loved items or at second-hand retailers
Install the free Library Extension Browser to quickly see if the book is at a local library instead of purchasing it
Make requests for items in your local Buy Nothing Group community - I personally have been gifted many helpful items from my own requests!
Re-evaluate your bulk quantity purchases
Cultivate purchasing experiences over things (my personal fave!)
Remember:
Earth Day might be once a year, but we have an opportunity to show our love for Earth every day with every action 🌎!
🎥 Intentional Purchasing: The Story of The Perfect Watering Can
When we moved in, we envisioned an outdoor space complete with plants 🪴. We got the plants, but when I looked for a watering can, I didn’t like any of the ones I saw 😕:
The ones I kept seeing were plastic, too small, a very generic or rusty metallic, or didn’t strike me as pretty enough for the price tag. I decided to keep looking for the functional + stylish watering can of my dreams — and in the meantime, we made do with a large plastic pitcher for watering 💦
Fast forward to a year later, and one day, while shopping at @homegoodsI came across a collection of bright, colorful, beautiful watering cans! My heart leapt with excitement - YES! What I’ve been looking for! 🙌🏽
We chose this blue one because of its size, handle type, and tipping ease — and now every time I see it sitting on our porch, it brings me so much joy. I’m reminded of the power and joy of being intentional when shopping, and I’m so glad I waited to buy only what “sparks joy” for our home 💙
May you also be reminded of and experience that joyful feeling of intentionality! 🍃