June 5, 2008 is World Environment Day.  You can help improve the world environment, as well as your personal environment, by doing a little decluttering and organizing of your home.  Do you know that we use only 20% of the things we own 80% of the time?  Pick a room or an area of your home and search for the things that you truly love, use, or need.  Recycle, Re-purpose, or Re-give the rest.

I believe just as people have a purpose as they cycle through life, so do things. I have found that things tend to fall into 3 categories of the life cycle: "Alive", "Tired", and "Dead".  You should only keep things that are "alive".
If you truly use or love a particular item then that thing is "alive" and serving its purpose.  

"Tired"  things may need a little TLC and creativity to resucitate them. If something is totally usable but you don't care for it any more, breathe new life into it and give it a "makeover" by re-purposing it into something new. You can do this by repainting something that's the wrong color, finding a new use for an old item, or repairing something that is broken. If that is not an option, re-give the item to someone who appreciates it and  has a  use for it (ie clothes that no longer fit).   If you're having a hard time parting with something you'll never use because "it's in perfect condition", or because you paid "good money" for it, consider re-selling it so you and it can get on with life.

"Dead" things are serving no purpose in their current state.  These items tend to be things that are broken beyond repair, or quite simply, they have served their purpose.  Try to recycle as many dead items as you can.  I think of recycling as a sort of reincarnation for unwanted stuff.  You will undoubtedly come across dead items that are destined for the "cemetery" (landfill).  The key to reducing these types of items is to buy reusable products and products that don't come in excess packaging.  For example, instead of buying bottled water, buy a water filter and a reusable container to carry with you.  You will have less clutter in your home and less waste in the trash.

By decluttering and organizing your home, you are not only creating a more welcoming environment in your home, but you are improving the world environment as well.  When you declutter, recycle, repurpose, and re-give your unwanted items you are putting usable items back into circulation, thus reducing the need to produce and buy more items that will impact the environment.  It also prevents these items from sticking around in your home so long that they become dead and obsolete.  Obsolete items typically become "landfillers".  When your home is free of clutter and well-organized you can find want  you need when you need it, thereby reducing the incidence of duplicate purchases.  This also reduces consumption while saving time, money, and energy.  Do your part to improve the world and your home by making sure the items you own are fulfilling their purpose.  Prevent your items from getting stuck in thing "limbo" by allowing them to cycle through their life.

Helpful links: www.earth911.org   www.swaco.org