The short answer is Yes, and here is why.
Sustainable decluttering services aim to rehome and recycle 75% to 80% of removed items, with only 20% ending up in landfills. Most that goes to landfills is broken, expired, unsanitary, or non-recyclable.
The future benefit of decluttering is that it increases awareness of what truly matters. People who declutter tend to consume less, seek higher quality products, and source sustainable goods. They also build connections with local groups to rehome, donate, or reuse, reducing the number of items that end up in landfills.
Here is what you can do to limit what you toss out:
1. Local rehoming – try the Buy Nothing group in your neighborhood, Craigslist, Nextdoor and FB Marketplace for example.
2. Specialized recycling – search for retailers or companies taking back specific items, like your retailer accepting shoes or clothes, electronic shops, etc.
3. Charitable donation – check with your local schools, churches, shelters, non-profits. You wouldn’t believe how helpful your overstock on soap, socks, bed sheets can be.
4. Repurpose – worn t-shirts make great cleaning rags; empty jars are great food containers. Give things a last chance to be useful. And then let go.
While it’s true that the environmental impact of what you’ve already bought cannot be changed, keeping it in your home doesn’t make it better. Eventually, items that are no longer useful to you can be helpful to others.
You can’t change the past, but you can start a new future today. Let’s do that.