Here are some quick and easy ideas for decluttering at home that will organize your space while helping the environment. Organizing isn’t usually at the top of the list of fun home projects but having a tidy space is well worth the time. Here are 5 simple ways to eco-organize at home to get you started.

1. Purge magazines and catalogs. Once you’ve gathered all of your old magazines and catalogs, go through them one at a time. Set aside the most recent issues that you may want to read and recycle the rest. Be sure to cut out any address labels (to guard against identity theft) and put those through your shredder. Check with your local recycler to find out if they accept shredded paper in your curbside recycling.
2. Purge dish and bath towels. Go through old dish towels and bath towels to get rid of the ones that are old, stained or fraying. Cut them up and use them for rags, bring them to a textile recycling bin or donate them to your local pet shelter. I know in our area, our local pet shelter is always happy to take clean, used towels.
3. Purge stuff stored in your garage that you no longer use. Go through your garage or other storage areas for items you don’t use but someone else could. There are plenty of thrift stores that will take your items (some will even pick them up!) and the money made goes directly to a local charity.
4. Purge expired food from your refrigerator. There are few things that make me happier than a clean refrigerator. Start at the top and work your way down taking everything out one shelf at a time. While the food stuffs are off the shelf, give them a quick wipe down. Check expiration dates. Rinse out and recycle containers. Put compostable food in your compost bin.
5. Purge extra or unused utensils. If you’re like me, there are a handful of favorite utensils and the rest just sit unused in the utensil drawer. Designate a utensil container that can be placed near your stove for those items that you reach for daily. Go through the utensil drawer and pull out anything you don’t use. These unused utensils can be donated to your local thrift store.
   

These organizing ideas all can be done quickly. Always be sure to reuse, recycle or donate an item before putting it in the garbage. If you need information about where to recycle an item, visit our Recycle Nation’s Find a Recycling Location at https://recyclenation.com/find/.