“But what about the landfill?” people often say to me. A laudable and valid concern, but one that is perhaps more complex than it appears.
It is wonderful and vitally important to be concerned about the environment, and this blog has some advice on making your declutter project as environmentally friendly as possible.
Having said that, it is also important to consider if the question is a form of avoidance or resistance.
Ask yourself honestly: how many of those things you have held onto in the past because ‘they will be useful someday’ have ever been used? Is that realistically likely to change in the future?
If you declutter diligently and are still left with items that can’t be recycled, upcycled or donated, the sad fact is that they are going to end up in landfill eventually. It’s a question of when rather than if. Essentially, you are just storing them temporarily in your home, and perhaps leaving them for someone else to deal with in the future. Someone who may not be as conscientious as you are.
So, take every reasonable effort to dispose responsibly of things you no longer need or want. And then accept with compassion that you did your best when buying things in the past, but that you have different values now.
Use the completion of your decluttering project to mark a new start, and to inspire you to change your consumption habits. Pledge to be a more conscious consumer in future, rather than holding on to what no longer serves you out of misplaced guilt or shame. You could also sign up to offset your carbon footprint.
Your home is your personal environment, so, just as with the wider environment of our planet, treat it with love, care and respect. When you nurture it, it will nurture you in turn.