Cures for Clutter

The arrival of spring stimulates the urge to clean and refresh our living spaces. After a long winter of bringing things home, the realization that nearly every closet, cupboard, and shelf are full (or overflowing) has hit me hard.

My mom had a succinct maxim for many situations and I can easily hear her ask, in an amused tone, “Do you own your stuff or does your stuff own you?” I often have the urge to declutter, and even manage to accomplish filling some boxes with things to donate, but within that same 24 hour period I will likely find myself in a store or online looking at something I “need.” I pride myself on being a thrifty shopper and often buy used or thrift. But today I want to officially acknowledge: second-hand stuff makes clutter just the same as new stuff.

The good news is there is a growing number of ways to deal with excess clutter. I can’t help you decide what to keep or release, but the rest of this blog will walk you through some options for next steps plus offer some great opportunities for new initiatives in the Northern Lakes region.

Confusing Choices

Once you have some items you are ready to get rid of—the next steps can bring confusing choices. When should you put things in the trash? Could someone else use it? Could it be sold for money? Given away or donated? Recycled?

When it comes to waste, there is a preferred hierarchy of approaches. The graphic below is from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency who cares deeply about waste management in Minnesota.

Graphic from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

It’s no surprise that the most preferred action is “Reduce,” which in the case of clutter in my home would mean “buy less stuff in the first place.” That is a strategy worthy of its own blog post and it doesn’t help with the clutter pile facing us.

Although the trash can can may be handy, sending things to the landfill should be the last resort. For much of the accumulated clutter, it’s worth exploring Reuse options.

The Many Types of Reuse

Having arrived at the point where we want to release some items, there are several choices: 

1. Give away through online sources such as Craig’s List or Buy Nothing Facebook Groups

2. Give away using “Free” sign at the curb or local newspapers (some will even publish giveaway items at no cost)

3. Donate - thrift stores, rummage sales for favorite causes, etc.

4. Sell - consignment or pawn shops, E-Bay or other online sources such as Facebook Marketplace

5. Swap/Exchange/Trade

   
   

As a member of my local Buy Nothing Facebook Group, I can say it’s truly fascinating what shows up there. Not only have I listed things to give away with great success, I have also made ISO (“In search of”) posts. Often the most effective ISO posts use a photo of the desired item (as in cut and pasted from the Amazon item description) and the search begins! When it comes to resilient living, it’s a win on many levels: the item is obtained, shipping costs (and use of resources to ship) are avoided, and community connections are made!

In some cases, the free exchange of items happens without an online platform.  Area libraries, somewhat famous for their rock-bottom prices at book sales, have also offered craft supplies swaps, a garden party exchange, (including plants seeds, tools, pots and decor), and even–yes–book swaps.

Happy Dancing Turtle is beginning work on new waste reduction initiatives to save money and resources and to foster DIY skills in the Northern Lakes area. We have developed a survey (linked at the end of this article) to gauge people’s interest in attending or helping to host events such as swaps (clothing, books, puzzles, and beyond) and Fix It/Mend It Clinics (more on those below).

Repair Is a Form of Reuse

Sometimes clutter happens when an item is worn out or no longer working. My whole life I’ve heard the phrase “They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” and it seems to only be getting more relevant. I explored the larger topic of how the idea of repair has become remote in the Rs for Resilient Living series. 

As I examine my own clutter pile, I find many reasons I’ve hung on to broken items: because I loved it when it was working or love the person who gave it to me, because it seems like it should be easy to fix, because even though it doesn’t seem easy to fix “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” and there isn’t an option to buy a replacement.

As explored in the blog post mentioned above, it can be difficult to find repair shops. But there is a growing trend in Fix It/Mend It Clinics. Fix It Clinics are often targeted to a specific type of items and vary as to how much hands-on work someone might be able to do on their own items. Either way, there is a need for 1) Items to be repaired and 2) People who are skilled at repair. Similarly, a Mend It Clinic is set up to provide specific types of repair (such as buttons, hems, repairing holes) and varies in how much teaching mending skills is an option. In the Driftless Region, Winona County is offering Fix-It Clinic Events. 

Share Your Interest: Survey and Internship

If you live in the Northern Lakes region, please take part in this survey to gauge interest in Fix It/Mend It Clinics and Swaps. If you know others that are fixers, tinkerers, sewers, skilled folks - please forward the survey to them as well. There is an immense wealth of talent in our communities. Let's save some money, preserve items we like, give new life to items, reduce trash and get to know each other better!

Working with Waste Partners and Cass County Environmental Services, Happy Dancing Turtle will also host a waste reduction intern in the coming months. The intern will support events and education focused on reuse and recycling. To learn more details about the internship and how to apply, visit happydancingturtle.org/employment.

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